The Kool, late 1967, from left: Jet Hodges, Dave Carol, Ray Brown, Pete Burt and Jeff Curtis (aka David Myers), photo courtesy Ray Brown
The Kool #1 (August-December 1967)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Ray Brown – bass, vocals Pete Burt – drums
Originally known as Jeff Curtis & The Flames, their manager, rock promoter Mervyn Conn changed their name to The Kool around August 1967.
Signing the band to CBS Records, Conn used The Ivy League and session musicians, including drummer Clem Cattini, to record Tony Macauley and John MacLeod’s poppy “Look at Me, Look at Me”, which was backed by the soulful “Room at the Top” (credited to Curtis’s real name: David Myers but actually a co-write with Ray Brown and originally cut as a demo by Jeff Curtis & The Flames around May 1966).
The A-side only features Ray Brown from the band who provides the lead vocal and is surrounded by the massed vocals of The Ivy League. The B-side is notable for its use of horns and cello and has a soulful feel with Jeff Curtis’s gravelly voice to the fore.
Produced by Mervyn Conn and arranged by Keith Mansfield, the single was released on 12 October 1967 but did not chart despite being plugged by DJ Tony Blackburn on Radio 1.
During the same session, Conn used The Ivy League as singers on an excellent version of “Step Out of Your Mind”, previously recorded and released in the United States by The American Breed, and a cover of Ralph Murphy’s “Funny What a Fool Can Be”. Like the previous B-side, Jeff Curtis sang lead vocals on this track and the band members are featured on the recording.
The two tracks were coupled for a second single, issued, and then mysteriously withdrawn, in limited edition, around December 1967.
That same month, the band played at Coronation Hall in Kingston with PP Arnold, after which Ray Brown departed to reunite with Steve Reading and Mickey Baker from his 1950s band, The Sky Blue Skiffle Group, in a new outfit called Champagne. During 1968, Champagne shared the bill with The Kool at Kew Boathouse. In 1969, Brown joined The Magic Roundabout.
With Ray Brown out of the picture, The Kool carried on, bringing in new bass player Brian Hosking.
Notable gigs:
Photo: Wakefield Express
9 September 1967 – Boogaloo, Castleford, West Yorkshire Billed as The Cool so may be another band
Photo: Ampthill News & Flintwick Record
15 September 1967 – Cesar’s Club, Bedford with The 100w Carnation
1 December 1967 – Coronation Hall, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey with PP Arnold (may have been later this month or first week in January)
The Kool, late 1967, from left: Ray Brown, Jeff Curtis (aka David Myers), Pete Burt, Dave Carol and Jet Hodges
The Kool #2 (January-August 1968)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Pete Burt – drums
Originally from Twickenham, Middlesex, Brian Hosking (b. 7 July 1947, Twickenham, Middlesex) was no stranger to the band having known Dave Carol from The Smokestacks in 1964. Hosking had first played bass with The Diplomats while at school and then joined The Feeet with guitarist Doug Ayris. During 1963, Hosking and Ayris formed The Legend with singer Nigel Kingswell and drummer John Sergeant.
In 1964, Hosking left to join The Smokestacks. Two years later, he helped form Twickenham band, The All Night Workers. However, after a few months, he departed to run a bar full-time in Heston and only returned to the live scene in October 1967 with a short-lived band called Deep Purple (no relation to their more famous namesake). When he joined The Kool, Hosking had given up the bar to sell car batteries in Slough and was living in Hounslow.
Kingston & Malden Borough News, 30 August 1968
In early 1968, The Kool appeared at London’s top nightclubs, the Cromwellian and the Pickwick. During the second part 1968, the band increasingly found work in the Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey area.
Notable gigs:
Photo: Swindon Advertiser
27 January 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with James Stuart Inspiration
Photo: Surrey Advertiser
15 June 1968 – West Clandon Youth Club, West Clandon, Surrey
22 June 1968 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
6 July 1968 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
19 July 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
The Kool #3 (August 1968-January 1969)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Steve Allen – drums
During late summer Pete Burt departed and joined up with keyboard player Bob Brittain for a tour of Germany. In 1969, Brittain offered Burt the drum position in his new band, Pickettywitch but the drummer declined the offer. The following year, he reunited with his old school friend from Roxeth Manor School – Rod Wharton and they formed the trio, Hogsnort Rupert. Burt subsequently retired from the music business and passed away on 20 March 2013.
Steve Allen, who was originally from Cornwall and had played in several West Country bands for five years before moving to Esher, Surrey, took over from Burt while working for the Inland Revenue in Richmond, Surrey during the day.
According to the Kingston and Malden Borough News, the new line up returned to the studios in early September 1968 to record three more sides, including two band originals, and two of the tracks recorded would be chosen for the band’s next single, due out around Christmas. The promised single never appeared.
The new Kool line-up, however, was short-lived because Allen did not like the band’s music and departed early on to join The Factory, led by singer Jack Brand.
Notable gigs:
16 August 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
24 August 1968 –Staines Town Hall, Staines, Middlesex
25 August 1968 – Apple Tree Club, White Lion, Putney, Southwest London
18 November 1968 – Orange Grove, Grove Tavern, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
6 December 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Photo: Melody Maker
The Kool #4 (January-May 1969)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Geoff Coxon – drums
Dave Carol enlisted his old friend from early 1960s band, The Drovers, Geoff Coxon, to replace the outgoing Steve Allen. Since splitting from Carol in 1964, Coxon had joined Hampton, Middlesex band, The Others, just in time to promote their lone single on Fontana, a raucous version of Bo Diddley’s “Oh Yeah”, coupled with the band original “I’m Taking Her Home”.
After The Others fell apart in October of that year, Coxon moved on to work with Colin Shane & The Shannons alongside guitarist Dave Mumford and bass player Dick Merritt. When this group split up in late 1965, the trio formed The Sugar Band with organist Malcolm Wainman, tenor sax player Pete Browning and baritone sax player Les Batt and worked the soul club circuit until late 1967.
The band’s agent then linked the musicians with Jamaican singer Delroy Williams and they became The Delroy Williams Show with The Sugar Band. By late 1968, the group had split from Williams and Coxon gigged around before joining The Kool.
Program for show in Caen, France in Feb. 1969. The photo shows the ’67 lineup before Brian Hosking and Geoff Coxon had joined. Program scan courtesy of Brian Hosking
The new line up travelled to France to play the Grand Ball at Caen University in early February. During that weekend, the new band members did a signing at a record shop for their forthcoming CBS single, which featured a photo of the original line up.
On 18 April 1969, CBS belatedly released The Kool’s second single, “Step Out of Your Mind” c/w “Funny What A Fool Can Be”, over a year after it was originally recorded. Despite a strong performance, the band’s moment had passed and the single failed to chart.
The single was reviewed in the Kingston and Malden Borough News’s 25 April 1969 edition, together with a photo of the original line up.
The current line up, however, signed to MCA and recorded a final single, issued in June 1969, coupling the poppy “Lovin’”, written by the song-writing team Capitanelli and O’Connor, backed by Dave Myers’ original, “Baby’s Out of Reach”. Produced by Phil Swern, arranged by Tom Parker, and with backing vocals by Sue and Sonny, the single had great potential but was another chart failure.
Before it was released both Jet Hodges and newcomer Geoff Coxon departed. Coxon joined Calum Bryce, reuniting with Dave Mumford. Coxon currently performs with a reformed The Others.
Calum Bryce, late 1969. Geoff Coxon at far left Photo courtesy of Geoff Coxon
Notable gigs:
15 January 1969 – Weybridge Hall, Weybridge, Surrey
Photo: Woking Herald
8 February 1969 – Grand Ball, Caen University, France
Photo: Woking Herald
2 May 1969 – Addlestone Community Centre, Addlestone, Surrey
The Kool #5 (May-August 1969)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Ronnie Clayden – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Jim Park – drums
Jim Park (b. 21 March 1947, Staines, Middlesex) was recruited via an advert that Hosking put in Melody Maker. The band received over 60 applications for the drum vacancy but Park knew Clive Burrows, who was singing in the latest version of Hosking’s former group The All Night Workers, which still contained Hosking’s former band mate from The Legend, Doug Ayris. Burrows also worked as a store man at a shop Hosking’s girlfriend managed.
August 1969
Barely 20 years old, Clayden (b. 2 April 1949, Lewisham, Kent) was living in Ascot, Berkshire at the time and had previously worked with Maidenhead band, The John Thomas Blues Band, which included lead guitarist Graham Marshall and drummer Chris Stevens.
The John Thomas Blues Band landed loads of support gigs opening for the likes of The Pretty Things, The Gun and Aynsley Dunbar’s Retaliation and had even spent a brief period backing American blues singer/pianist Champion Jack Dupree. The John Thomas Blues Band appeared at the Crown pub in Twickenham on 11 January 1969. Clayden finds out about the position in The Kool through Jim Park whose parents worked with his.
Sir Robert Peel, photo taken September 2011
The Kool, however, were nearing their end and during a run of shows at the Sir Robert Peel in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, longstanding front man Jeff Curtis quit the band and was replaced by singer Roger Semon, who’d previously fronted The In-Sekt Ltd and Coconut Ice.
Not long after newcomer Jim Park also departed and subsequently re-joined The All Night Workers. Alan Cottrell took his place on the drum stool.
After leaving the band he had led for nearly a decade, Jeff Curtis reverted to his real name, David Myers, and set up his own restaurant business. He died in tragic circumstances in the late 1990s.
Notable gigs:
19-20 July 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
7 August 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
9 August 1969 – Hog’s Back Hotel, Seale, near Farnham, Surrey
12 August 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
The Kool, December 1970, from left: Brian Hosking, Alan Cottrell, Roger Semon, Dave Carol and (not pictured) Ronnie Clayden Photo courtesy of Brian Hosking
The Kool #6 (September 1969-December 1970)
Roger Semon – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Ronnie Clayden – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Alan Cottrell – drums
Despite losing their longstanding frontman, The Kool continued into 1970 but did not record any more material. In early 1971, Hosking and Clayden both left.
Hosking later moved to the Guildford area where he worked with the band Bloodhound. Based on Bournemouth, he is currently working with a reformed version of The All Night Workers. Clayden, meanwhile, subsequently moved to the Camberley/Ascot area on the Surrey/Berkshire border and worked with the band, Snow Leopard. He later moved to the United States where he currently resides.
After bringing back Hosking’s predecessor Ray Brown from Magic Roundabout and carrying on without a keyboard player, the final line up continued as Easy Virtue throughout 1971. During that year, John Frost took over the drum stool from Alan Cottrell.
In 1972, Carol left and was replaced by lead guitarist Frank Torpey, who’d been in the original Sweet. The band then changed name to Crackers. However, in 1973, John Frost left to re-join Carol in a new version of Easy Virtue, which lasted into the mid-1970s. Carol subsequently left the music business and currently runs his own restaurant business in Southwest London.
Ray Brown meanwhile stayed in the music business until the mid-1980s. Crackers were studio winners on Opportunity Knocks in 1976 and recorded material at Abbey Road and Surrey Sound Studios. Three tracks featuring Roger Semon, Ray Brown and Frank Torpey were released under the name Horrorcomic on Lighting Records in 1977 and reached #28 in Melody Maker’s punk charts.
Two further singles were released in 1978 and 1979 with Roger Willis from Capability Brown on drums. All of the single releases, plus six previously unreleased recordings were issued in 2006 by Sanctuary Records on the CD England 77’. Brown later worked with comedy show group The Wallies and The Beasty Grandads before retiring from the music business in September 1988. He currently lives in Surrey.
Notable gigs:
10 September 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
17 September 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
27 September 1969 – Kingston College of Technology, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey with Bobby Kerr Whoopee Band and The Webb
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
5 December 1969 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
22 December 1969 – Chessington Youth Club, Chessington, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
27 December 1969 – Kingston Rowing Club, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
20 February 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
7 March 1970 – Kingston Rowing Club, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
21 March 1970 – Hook Youth Club, Hook, Surrey
4 April 1970 – Claygate Village Hall, Claygate, Surrey
17 April 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
24 April 1970 – Hook Youth Club, Hook, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
22 May 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
17 July 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
4 September 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
23 October 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
A huge thanks goes to Dave Carol, Pete Burt, Brian Hosking, Geoff Coxon, Ronnie Clayden, Ray Brown, Rod Wharton and John Frost. The Kingston and Malden Borough News also proved useful. Many thanks to Brian Hosking, Ray Brown and Ronnie Clayden for providing some of the images. This is dedicated to Pete Burt.
45 releases:
Look at Me, Look at Me/Room at the Top (CBS 203003) 1967 Step Out of Your Mind/Funny (What a Fool a Can Be) (CBS 2865) April 18, 1969 Lovin’/Baby’s Out of Reach (MCA MU 1085) 1969
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
Site of the Ealing Jazz Club, photo taken December 2010
The Ealing Jazz Club (or the Ealing Club as it was more commonly known) was one of London’s most historically important music venues during the 1960s. Situated below the ABC bakery, opposite Ealing Broadway station, in the leafy West London suburb of Ealing, the club became renowned as London’s first significant R&B venue when blues enthusiasts Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies’s band Blues Incorporated debuted in March 1962.
Nicknamed the “Moist Hoist” because of the condensation that used to drip down the walls, the club hosted many of London’s most distinguished R&B acts, and in April of that year provided the setting for the first meeting between Messrs.’ Jagger and Richard and Brian Jones, who formed the nucleus of The Rolling Stones, a club regular during 1962 and 1963.
A virtual who’s who of famous British R&B enthusiasts appeared on the club’s tiny stage over the next three years, most notably Blues Incorporated members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (who went on to Cream among others); Eric Clapton; Graham Bond; John Mayall; Long John Baldry; Eric Burdon; and Paul Jones, Manfred Mann’s lead singer, to mention just a few names.
Another of London’s top R&B acts The Who performed their first advertised show at the club in November 1964 and played regularly there during the early part of 1965. Jeff Beck’s band The Tridents also graced the club’s stage and, according to Melody Maker, appeared regularly on the Wednesday and Friday night slots during the summer of 1964.
And let’s not forget Dick Taylor, who left an early incarnation of The Rolling Stones to form his own pioneering R&B band, The Pretty Things. Incidentally, future Rolling Stone, Ron Wood was another famous musician who frequented the club with his band, the unforgettable Birds. His brother, the late Art Wood also appeared there, playing with Blues Incorporated and fronting his own band, The Artwoods.
As an R&B hotbed, the club became a magnet for London’s music crowd, drawing in the likes of Rod Stewart; future Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell; Don Craine and the rest of The Downliners Sect; future Faces keys man Ian McLagan, who was working with Twickenham band, The Muleskinners; and future Deep Purple founder Nick Simper, whose early Sixties outfit, The Delta Five were one of the many acts to appear.
Many of the British musicians that either played at the club or witnessed the burgeoning R&B scene emerging from it, took what they had learnt and/or seen to overseas markets as part of the British invasion.
Locals, the late Frank Kennington, who later managed Motorhead, and lead guitarist Mick Liber, whose band Frankie Reid and The Casuals (with future Episode Six drummer John Kerrison among others) had played at the Ealing Club, headed Down Under and formed one of Australia’s finest R&B groups, the original Python Lee Jackson.
Singer Andy Keiller caught many of the acts, including an embryonic Rolling Stones with Carlo Little on drums and Ricky Brown on bass and was so inspired that he headed off to South Africa and subsequently formed The Upsetters in late 1965.
Keiller’s soon-to-be collaborator, Irish guitarist Louis McKelvey and his friend, drummer Malcolm Tomlinson, meanwhile, had played with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, who frequently played at the Ealing Club during its formative years.
After their brief stint together in South Africa, Andy Keiller and Louis McKelvey amazingly reunited in Canada in the late 1960s, founding the experimental band, Influence.
McKelvey subsequently returned to the UK to pick up Malcolm Tomlinson, who’d been working with a pre-Jethro Tull Martin Barre and then headed back to Toronto to form Milkwood, authors of a soon-to-be released LP, recorded with the legendary Jerry Ragovoy at the NYC’s Hit Factory in summer of 1969.
Likewise, many other not so famous musicians who played the Ealing Club went on to produce fascinating music in the burgeoning psychedelic scene. Locals Chris Jackson and Tom Newman fronted R&B band The Tomcats (who also worked as The Thoughts) and later formed one of Britain’s more interesting psych ventures, July, after a stint in Spain.
Jon Field and Tony Duhig were also members of July and had earlier worked with another Ealing Club regular – The Second Thoughts, alongside future Thunderclap Newman, drummer/vocalist Speedy Keen and Patrick Campbell Lyons, who later formed the core of another top psych act, Nirvana.
Jimmy Royal, yet another local talent, was a club regular and fronted one of the area’s most respected bands, The Hawks, which featured former Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (the recently deceased) guitarist Mick King (real name Mick Borer) and drummer Terry Mabey among others.
And let’s not forget the many obscure bands that got to play at this prestigious club – groups like The Fairlanes, The Four Sounds, Johnnie Harris and The Shades and The Fantastic Soul Messengers.
With many of these great musicians already gone, Garagehangover would like to use this space to encourage musicians, club regulars, promoters and any others with any memories, memorabilia, photos and details of live dates to share this on the site in the comment box below.
Unless otherwise stated, the following (incomplete) gigs listing is from the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, which advertised who played at the Ealing Club in its “Coming Events” section towards the back.
The main exception is 1963 where Melody Maker was the main source for gigs unless otherwise noted.
Thanks to Paul Lucas for The Tridents’ gigs, taken from his diary.
January 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 11 – The London City Stompers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 18 – The Ken Stuart Seven
Tuesday 22 – The Colne Valley Six
Saturday 26 – The Rolling Stones
February 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Keith Gardiner, rhythm guitar player with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, says his band played the Ealing Club a few times during the early months of 1963
Tuesday 5 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 8 – Blue Cedar Jazzmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 9 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 15 – Johnny Toogood’s Jazzband (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 22 – Colne Valley Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 23 – The Rolling Stones
March 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 1 – Eric Johnson’s Junction Jazz Band
Saturday 2 – The Rolling Stones
According to John Kerrison’s autobiography It Ain’t Rock ‘N’ Roll, The Rolling Stones had a regular Thursday night residency, which Kerrison’s band, Frankie Reid & The Casuals took over. Judging by the dates, it looks more likely that it was a Saturday rather than Thursday night residency.
Friday 8 – Kid Martyn’s Ragtime Band
Monday 11 – The Rockets (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 18 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 22 – Thames City Jazzmen
Saturday 23 – Blues By Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 24 – Sonny Morris Veterans Jazz Band
Monday 25 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 29 – Bob Woolley’s Jazz Band
Saturday 30 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 31 – Micky Ashman’s Ragtime Jazz Band
April 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Monday 1 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 13 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 15 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 18 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 20 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 22 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 25 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 26 – Bob Woolley’s Jazzmen
Saturday 27 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 28 – Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the first Ealing Club show by the band that became Manfred Mann)
Monday 29 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
May 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 3 – The Sidewalk Six and The Phoenix Thumpers
Sunday 5 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Thursday 9 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 10 – The Cardinal Jazzmen
Saturday 11 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 12 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Monday 13 – Rock ‘N’ Roll (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 17 – The Dauphine Street Six
Sunday 19 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members at this time went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six)
Friday 24 – Douggie Richford’s Jazzmen
Saturday 25 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 26 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Monday 27 – The Running Gate (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 31 – The Dolphin Jazz Band
June 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Sunday 2 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Sunday 9 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Tuesday 11 – The Boys and The Henchman (Harrow Observer) (The Boys became The Action; The Henchmen evolved into The Rockin’ Eccentrics – see below)
Thursday 13 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 14 – The Cardinal Jazzmen
Saturday 15 – Graham Bond (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 16 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette has them billed as The Blues Brothers but also lists The Chinese Blues and Manhogs)
Monday 17 – The Boys and The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 20 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer)
Friday 21 – Charlie Gall’s Jazz Band
Saturday 22 – The Graham Bond Quartet
Sunday 23 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette bill them as fabulous Rolling Blues Brothers)
Monday 24 – The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 28 – Bob Wooley’s Jazz Band
Sunday 30 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
July 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 5 – The Renegades (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Limelights)
Sunday 7 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the final gig under this name before switching to Manfred Mann)
Wednesday 10 – The Soundsmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 12 – The Limelights (this band became The Legends)
Wednesday 17 – Mike Forde & The Fortunes (Drummer Lindsay Bex joined The Tridents in January 1964 but left soon after Jeff Beck joined)
Friday 19 – The Limelights
Wednesday 24 – The International Monarchs
August 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 2 – The Limelights
Wednesday 7 – Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated
Wednesday 28 – Blues by Six
September 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 4 – The Graham Bond Quartet
October 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 5 – Manfred Mann (First Ealing gig under their new name)
Wednesday 16 – The Bluenotes
November 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 9 – Manfred Mann
Saturday 30 – Manfred Mann
December 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Sunday 1 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers (billed as every Sunday) (Mitch Mitchell played drums at the start alongside sax player Terry Marshall, who was Jim Marshall’s son)
Sunday 8 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Saturday 14 – Manfred Mann
Sunday 15 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Saturday 21 – Manfred Mann
Sunday 22 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Sunday 29 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
January 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (billed as playing every Saturday)
Friday 10 – The Tridents (Guitarist Leslie Jones joined Four Plus One in August 1964 with former Tridents drummer Ken Lawrence; they became The In Crowd who subsequently morphed into Tomorrow)
Saturday 11 – Possibly John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (needs confirmation)
Monday 13 – The Tridents
Saturday 18 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Monday 20 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (billed as every Monday)
Wednesday 22 – The Tridents
Thursday 23 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 26 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 27 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – The Chessmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (aka Tony Knight’s Chessmen)
February 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 1 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 8 – The Soul Messengers (Melody Maker however lists John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)
Sunday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Monday 10 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Wednesday 12 – The Tridents
Wednesday 19 – The Tridents
Wednesday 26 – The Tridents
March 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 4 – The Tridents
Friday 6 – R&B group
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Wednesday 11 – The Tridents
Friday 13 – R&B group
Wednesday 18 – The Tridents
Thursday 19 – Top West London groups (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 21 – Jimmy Williamson Trio (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 22 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 23 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Wednesday 25 – The Tridents
Thursday 26 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette) (Members at this point went on to The Manchester Playboys, Influence and The Penny Peeps among others)
Friday 27 – The Tridents
Saturday 28 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Sunday 29 – The Soul Messengers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Monday 30 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
April 1964
Wednesday 1 – The Tridents
Thursday 2 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Friday 3
Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 5 – The Soul Messengers
Monday 6
Tuesday 7
Wednesday 8 – The Tridents
Thursday 9 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (This is Jeff Curtis & The Flames) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 10 – R&B group
Saturday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to Nirvana, Thunderclap Newman, July and Jade Warrior)
Monday 13 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Tuesday 14
Wednesday 15
Thursday 16 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (sic) (this is Jeff Curtis & The Flames)
Friday 17
Saturday 18 – The Mark Leeman Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to The Nice, Gass and Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers among others)
Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 20 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals) (Melody Maker lists Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band on Monday, 20 April)
Tuesday 21
Wednesday 22
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 23 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 24
Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 27 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals)
Tuesday 28
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
May 1964
Friday 1
Saturday 2 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 3 – The Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6 – The Tridents
Thursday 7 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 8 – R&B group
Saturday 9 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 10 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Mitch Mitchell left before the band became The Next 5 in the summer. After playing a gig with The Rockin’ Eccentrics in Portsmouth, he formed The Riot Squad)
Tuesday 12
Wednesday 13 – The Tridents
Thursday 14 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 15
Saturday 16 – The Mark Leemen’s Five (aka Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 17 – Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)
Monday 18 – The Hobos
Tuesday 19
Wednesday 20
Thursday 21 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 22
Saturday 23 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 24 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 25 – The Hobos
Tuesday 26
Wednesday 27
Thursday 28 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks
Friday 29 – The Tridents
Saturday 30 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 31 – The Second Thoughts
June 1964
Monday 1 – The Hobos
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3 – The Tridents
Thursday 4 – Manfred Mann
Friday 5 – The Tridents
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 7 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 8 – The Hobos
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – The Tridents
Thursday 11 – Manfred Mann (Harrow Observer & Gazette has Frankie Reid & The Casuals)
Friday 12 – The Preachers (Terry Clark and Andy Bown went on to original line up of The Herd)
Saturday 13 – The Mark Leemen Five (This might have been The Tridents; Harrow Observer & Gazette lists the latter)
Sunday 14 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 15 – The Hobos
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Tridents
Thursday 18 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Members at this point went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six among others)
Friday 19 – The Fairlanes
Saturday 20 – The Tridents (Harrow Observer & Gazette lists The Mark Leeman Five)
Sunday 21 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 22 – The Hobos
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Tridents
Thursday 25 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 26 – Gene & The Cossacks
Saturday 27– The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 28 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 29 – The Hobos
Tuesday 30
July 1964
Wednesday 1 – The Tridents
Thursday 2 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 3 – R&B group
Saturday 4 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 5 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 6 – The Hobos
Tuesday 7
Wednesday 8
Thursday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 10 – The Tridents
Saturday 11 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leeman Five)
Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 13 – The Hobos
Tuesday 14
Wednesday 15 – The Tridents
Thursday 16 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 17 – R&B
Saturday 18 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leemen Five) (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Second Thoughts)
Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 20 – Gerry Hart & The Heartbeats (This group became The Eyes)
Tuesday 21
Wednesday 22
Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 24
Saturday 25 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Mark Leeman Five)
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Macabre)
Monday 27 – The Hobos
Tuesday 28
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 31 – R&B
August 1964
Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 2 – The Macabre (Guitarist Peter Vernon-Kell had been a very early member of The Who when they were called The Detours. He would go to become an original member of The Hamilton Movement)
Monday 3 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 5 – The Tridents
Thursday 6 – R&B
Friday 7 – Group Four
Saturday 8 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 9 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 10 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 11
Wednesday 12 – The Tridents
Thursday 13 – R&B
Friday 14 – The Koalas
Saturday 15 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 16 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 17 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 18
Wednesday 19 – The Tridents (Shortly after this gig, the band’s guitarist Leslie Jones left to join Four Plus One/The In Crowd and Mike Jopp covered until Jeff Beck joined in early September)
Thursday 20 – R&B
Friday 21 – The Preachers
Saturday 22 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 23 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 24 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 25
Wednesday 26 – R&B
Thursday 27 – R&B
Friday 28 – R&B
Saturday 29 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 30 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 31 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
September 1964
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2 – R&B
Thursday 3 – R&B
Friday 4 – R&B
Saturday 5 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 6 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 7 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9 – R&B
Thursday 10 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 11 – R&B
Saturday 12 – The Mark Leemen Five (Saturdays)
Sunday 13 – The Macabre (Sundays)
Monday 14 – The Hobos (Mondays)
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16 – Buddy Britten & The Regents (every Wednesday)
Thursday 17 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal)
Friday 18 – The Preachers
Photo: Ruislip & Northwood Gazette
Saturday 19 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 20 – The Macabre
Monday 21 – The Hobos
Tuesday 22
Wednesday 23 – Buddy Britten & The Regents
Thursday 24 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks and Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 25 – The Vincents
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 26 – The Mark Leemen Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 27 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Mokes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 28 – The Macabre (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 31 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics and The South West Five
January 1965
Friday 1
Saturday 2 – The Who
Sunday 3 – The Hobos
Monday 4 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 7 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Friday 8 – The Heart & Souls (According to Ken Samuels, this was possibly with Flight One)
Saturday 9 – The Who
Sunday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 11 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 12
Wednesday 13 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 14 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 15 – Beau & The Odd Lot
Saturday 16 – The Ray Martin Group (Terry Marshall, Jim’s Marshall’s son was a member)
Sunday 17 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 18 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 19
Wednesday 20 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 21 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 22 – Just Memphis
Saturday 23 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 25 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 26
Wednesday 27 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 28 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 29 – The Nature Boys
Saturday 30 – The Who
Sunday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
February 1965
Monday 1 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3
Thursday 4 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks?)
Friday 5 – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Ian Gillan on lead vocals) and The Unit 5
Saturday 6 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 7 – Group Competition – 5 Top Groups!
Monday 8 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – Unit 5 (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 11 – The Who (Billed as “The Who London 1965” for next four Thursdays)
Friday 12 – The Miston Tuac
Saturday 13
Sunday 14 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 15 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 18 – The Who
Friday 19 – The Beaux Oddlot (aka Beau & The Odd Lot)
Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 22 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 25 – The Who
Friday 26 – Just Memphis
Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five
March 1965
Monday 1 – The Birds
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3 – The Blue Ravens
Thursday 4 – The Who
Friday 5 – The Nature Boys
Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 7 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 8 – The Birds
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 11 – The Birds
Friday 12 – The Blue Ravens
Saturday 13 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 14 – The Fetish Crowd
Monday 15 – The Birds
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Who
Thursday 18 – The Birds (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Confirmed by Ron Woods’ book)
Friday 19 – The Clique
Saturday 20 – The Five Dimension (The Stormsville Shakers are also listed for this date)
Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 22 – The Just Four
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Who
Thursday 25 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Friday 26 – The Who and The Fetish Crowd
Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 29 – The Just Four
Tuesday 30
Wednesday 31 – The Maroons (This band may have backed Wilson Pickett on a British tour)
April 1965
Thursday 1 – The Maroons (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 2 – The Clique
Saturday 3 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 4 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 5 – The Just Four
Tuesday 6
Wednesday 7 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 8 – The Maroons
Friday 9 – The Clique
Saturday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 11 – The Shondells
Monday 12 – The Dee Lobs and Mike Dee & The Prophets
Tuesday 13
Wednesday 14 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 15 – The Maroons
Friday 16 – The Clique
Saturday 17 – The Footprints
Sunday 18 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 19 – The Rakes
Tuesday 20
Wednesday 21 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 22 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Friday 23 – The Clique
Saturday 24 – Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 25 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 26 – The Tramps
Tuesday 27
Wednesday 28 – The Fetish Crowd
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 29 – The Birds
Friday 30 – The Eccentrics
May 1965
Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 2 – The Tribe (Guitarist Frank Torpey became the original guitarist in The Sweet; bass player Dennis Cowan joined The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)
Monday 3 – The Tramps
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 5 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 6
Friday 7 – The Maroons
Saturday 8 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 9 – The Rakes
Monday 10 – The Tramps
Tuesday 11
Wednesday 12 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 13 – The Tribe (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Fetish Crowd)
Friday 14 – The Birds
Saturday 15 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 16 – The Rakes
Monday 17 – The Tramps
Tuesday 18
Wednesday 19 – The C C Riders
Thursday 20 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 21 – The Eccentrics
Saturday 22 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 23 – The Tribe
Monday 24 – The Rakes
Tuesday 25
Wednesday 26 – The C C Riders
Thursday 27 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 28 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 29 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 30 – The Initial Four
Monday 31 – The Tribe
June 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2 – The C C Riders
Thursday 3 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 4 – The Senate IV
Saturday 5 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 6 – The Initial Four
Monday 7 – The Blues Dynasty
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9 – The C C Riders
Thursday 10 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 11 – The Senate IV
Saturday 12 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 13 – The Initial Four
Monday 14 – The Blues Dynasty
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16 – The C C Riders
Thursday 17 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 18 – The Tramps
July 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Thursday 1 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Sunday 4 – Initial 4
Saturday 10 – Initial 4
Friday 16 – Rock’ n Breckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)
Saturday 17 – Initial 4
Saturday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five
Saturday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
August 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Saturday 7 – The Ray Martin Group
Friday 13 – James Royal & The Hawks
Saturday 14 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 15 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers (Sundays)
Friday 20 – James Royal & The Hawks
Saturday 21 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 22 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Friday 27 – Ricken Beckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)
Saturday 28 – The Fab 5
September 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 3 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Friday 10 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Saturday 11 – The Ray Martin Group
Harrow Observer & Gazette (16 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays
Friday 17 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Saturday 18 – The Ray Martin Group
Harrow Observer & Gazette (23 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays
October 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Photo: Melody Maker
Wednesday 27 – Brian Green & His Band
Thursday 28 – R&B
Friday 29 – Cabaret Showband
Saturday 30 – The Ray Martin Group
November 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 3 – Brian Green & His Band
Friday 19 – Cabaret Showband
Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 21 – Jazz Blues Big Band
Wednesday 24 – Brian Green & His Jazz Band
Thursday 25 – R&B Group
December 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 9 – The Tribe
Ruislip and Northwood Gazette (10 December) says live music six nights a week
Friday 10 – The Ray Martin Group
Saturday 11 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 12 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Monday 13 – The Mixed Feelings
Wednesday 15 – The Midnight Blues (or possibly John Hart Quartet)
Thursday 16 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Friday 17 – The Ray Martin Group
Photo: Melody Maker
Saturday 18 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 19 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Friday 24 – The Ray Martin Group
Saturday 25 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 26 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Friday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
Thank you to Andy Neill for some of the background information on the Ealing Club.
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
Jeff Curtis & the Flames, circa spring 1963. From left to right: Malcolm Randall, Louis McKelvey, Dave Wigginton, Keith Gardiner, Malcolm Tomlinson and Jeff Curtis
Revised February 2018
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #1 (circa May 1961-May 1962)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Mick Cartwright – lead guitar
Robin “Jesse” James – rhythm guitar
Gary Wheeler – bass
Derek “Dell” Saville – drums
Twickenham born insurance salesman Jeff Curtis (born David Myers; 20 June 1940) had ambitions to be a singer/performer and reportedly put together the original Flames around mid-1961 after singing in a choir.
Little is known about the early Flames. However, according to drummer Dell Saville, Curtis approached him to join a version with three Whitton musicians in mid-1961. These comprised lead guitarist Mick Cartwright, rhythm guitarist Robin “Jesse” James and bass player Gary Wheeler. Curtis ran a short-lived club, the JC Rock Club in the New British Legion Hall on Long Lane, Hillingdon Circus and the musicians played there often, debuting on 26 July 1961. Around May 1962, however, the musicians went their separate ways and Saville joined Ray Dell & The Rocking Deacons. James joined The Downliners briefly.
Advert in Uxbridge Post, 8 November 1961
Curtis started to piece together a new version of The Flames in late 1962/early 1963, starting with Hounslow-based bass player Dave Wigginton (b. 25 February 1943, Isleworth, Middlesex), who held a senior position at an import/export warehouse at London (later Heathrow) Airport during the day, and was working with Twickenham outfit, Johnny & The Pursuers, who played at the JC Rock Club. Thanks to Wigginton’s connections, the new Flames would use the warehouse to rehearse in the evenings. The bass player quickly recommended fellow Pursuers’ guitarist Louis McKelvey (b. 31 October 1943, Killorglin, County Kerry, Eire).
Born above a pub Louis McKelvey came from an artistic background; his mother and father worked in theatre. After boarding at Silverlands House in Chertsey, he attended school in Twickenham, Middlesex, where he was classmates with Don Craine, later of The Downliners Sect fame. McKelvey’s first band was local outfit Johnny & The Pursuers.
Soon after, Curtis recruited rhythm guitarist Keith Gardiner (b. September 1942). In late 1957, when he was 15 years old, Gardiner had befriended 10-year-old drummer John “Mitch” Mitchell at Tudor Rose Youth Club in Southall, Middlesex and had formed a rudimentary band together with guitarist Pete Ross, who subsequently went on to Ealing band, The Flexmen. At the time, Mitchell was attending Jim Marshall’s shop in Hanwell, Middlesex where he was taking drum lessons while Gardiner was taking guitar lessons from top session player, the late Big Jim Sullivan among others.
Wiggington recommended Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex) on drums around December 1962 after seeing him at a local youth club playing with The Panthers. Tomlinson was brought up in Cranford, near London Airport, where his parents worked for British Airways.
A talented musician, who later became a multi-instrumentalist, Tomlinson had attended Spring Grove Grammar School in Isleworth where he was classmates with fellow drummer Mick Underwood, who went on to work with The Outlaws with Ritchie Blackmore among others, and guitarist Tony Bramwell (see later entry). Initially a guitarist, Tomlinson started playing drums in late 1962 and soon proved his natural ability on the kit.
The new formation debuted at Curtis’s Hillingdon club but it soon closed down.
Keith Gardiner says the band opened for The Rolling Stones a couple of times at the Station Hotel in Richmond during February-March 1963 before the club was renamed the Crawdaddy. They also played at the Ealing Club during this period a few times.
Louis McKelvey, Dave Wigginton, Malcolm Tomlinson (partially obscured), Keith Gardiner and Jeff Curtis. Photo: Dave Wigginton
Around March 1963, the musicians completed the new formation with jazz enthusiast, Harrow-on-The-Hill-based sax player Malcolm Randall (b. October 1942, Hendon, Middlesex), who later earned the nickname C B (current bun). Randall’s debut was a gig in Brighton.
Competing with The Rolling Stones, another Ealing Club regular, for local area gigs, Curtis’s band started to travel further afield, including the Whisky A Go Go in Manchester.
During 1963, they backed singer Roly Daniels for a show in Catford in Southeast London.
Wigginton remembers playing a club on Jermyn Street in central London in the early days. He also says the band performed at Chiswick Polytechnic, Wandsworth Polytechnic and Chiswick Town Hall during this period.
After working with a manager who also looked after local group Pete Nelson & The Travellers, Jeff Curtis & The Flames signed to Bob Potter’s agency and started working around the Surrey/Hampshire area, including the Agincourt Ballroom in Camberley.
During this time, they opened for Freddie & The Dreamers at Botwell House in Hayes, Middlesex and Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers at Kew Boathouse among others.
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #2 (Circa December 1962-December 1963)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Louis McKelvey – lead guitar
Keith Gardiner – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Malcolm Randall – saxophone (joined around March 1963)
Dave Wigginton – bass
Malcolm Tomlinson – drums/backing vocals
Jeff Curtis & The Flames, Walthamstow, north London, January 1963. Interestingly Jeff Curtis is playing the piano. This was before Malcolm Randall joined.
On 1 June 1963, Jeff Curtis & The Flames played their most high-profile gig to date, appearing with a number of local West London bands 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. The billing included Tomlinson’s future band leader, Fulham-based singer Jimmy Marsh and his former Spring Grove class mate, Mick Underwood who was playing with The Outlaws and backing the show’s headline act, Jerry Lee Lewis.
Jeff Curtis & the Flames, 1963. Photo courtesy of Keith Gardiner. Left to right: Louis McKelvey, Keith Gardiner, Jeff Curtis, Malcolm Tomlinson, Dave Wigginton and Malcolm RandallJeff Curtis & the Flames, 1963. From left: Keith Gardiner, Louis McKelvey, Malcolm Tomlinson, Malcolm Randall, Dave Wigginton and Jeff Curtis (front)Poster for the Channel Crossing, 1 June 1963. Image courtesy of Keith Gardiner
On 4 October 1963, Jeff Curtis & The Flames were given the opportunity to record some demos. The band (minus Malcolm Randall) cut a four-track acetate at Lansdowne Recording Studios on Lansdowne Road in Holland Park, which comprised covers of Chuck Berry’s “Bye Bye Johnny” and “It Don’t Take But A Few Minutes” (with Lenny Hastings on drums); Robert Allen and Richard Adler’s “Everybody Loves a Lover”; and Bobby Troup’s “Route 66”.
Two tracks were allegedly readied for release as a single for HMV but when this did not happen, Gardiner departed and dropped out of the music scene, although he did briefly sub for Ken Lundgren in The Outlaws at a few gigs.
Years later he formed his own band The Keith Gardiner Band (KGB), which performed around the Shepperton, Middlesex area.
Acid Jazz Records subsequently used one of the recordings for its Rare Mod CD series.
Notable gigs:
Photo: Walthamstow GuardianPhoto: Dave Wigginton. The Flames at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, January 1963
19 January 1963 – Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Walthamstow with The Gallions and Paul & The Alpines (billed as The Flames)
9 March 1963 – Hillingdon Club, Sevenoaks, Kent
Photo: Harrow Observer
20 March 1963 – British Legion Hall, South Harrow, Middlesex
Photo: Surrey Comet
3 May 1963 – St Peter’s Hall, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey with The Sinners (billed as The Flames) First time in Kingston
Photo: Woking Herald
10 May 1963 – Weybridge Hall, Weybridge, Surrey
1 June 1963 – Rock Twist Jive Channel Crossing with Jerry Lee Lewis & The Outlaws, The Four Whirlwinds, The Del-Lormes, Johnny Angel, Nero & The Gladiators, Dane Robert, Vicki Rowe, Ricky Valance, The Fabulous Fleerekkers, Colin Chapman and Jimmy Marsh
Photo: Surrey Comet
14 June 1963 – St Peter’s Hall, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey with Tony Clayton & The Impalas (billed as The Fabulous Flames with saxophone backing)
20 July 1963 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
At Silver Blades Ice Rink, The Streatham News, August 2, 1963
2-3 August 1963 – Silver Blades, Streatham, London
28 September 1963 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey with Allen & The Blue Diamonds (billed as The Flames) According to Keith Gardiner who is in touch with the guitarist from Tommy Bruce’s band, The Flames actually played on 29 September as the opening act
Photo: Walthamstow Guardian
12 October 1963 – Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Walthamstow with Mel James & The Meltones and Jimmy Ritchie Combo (billed erroneously as Jess Curtis & The Flames)
30 November 1963 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #3 (December 1963-July 1964)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Louis McKelvey – lead guitar
Ray Soper – organ
Malcolm Randall – saxophone
Dave Wigginton – bass
Malcolm Tomlinson – drums/backing vocals
Jeff Curtis replaced Keith Gardiner with Putney, Surrey-based organist Ray Soper (b. 9 May 1941, Battersea, London), who would play with The Flames on several occasions over the next two years, venturing off to perform with various other local groups. Soper had gone to Sir Walter St John Grammar School in Battersea, south London and started playing classical piano at six years of age. In 1959, when he was 18 years old, Soper began working with local rock groups in the Chelsea area.
Around February 1964, the band did a demo session with Decca Records in West Hampstead but nothing came from it.
After leaving Bob Potter’s agency, Jeff Curtis & The Flames got work with the Roy Tempest agency. The new line up continued to gig widely but Tomlinson started to get bored.
In mid-summer the drummer took up an offer from former Fairlanes lead singer Jimmy Marsh, who he’d met on the cross Channel gig the previous summer, to join his new band, The Del Mar Trio. Tomlinson subsequently went on to play with The Noblemen, The Motivation, The Penny Peeps and Gethsemane before immigrating to Canada in January 1969 and continuing his musical career there. He subsequently worked with the likes of Bill King and Rick James among others and cut two solo albums in the late Seventies.
Notable gigs:
1 February 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with The League of Gentlemen and The Dyaks
Photo: Walthamstow Guardian
29 February 1964 – Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Walthamstow with Pat McQueen Combo and The Preachers
Opening for the Rattles, March 14, 1964
14 March 1964 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with The Rattles (billed as Geoff Curtis & The Flames)
26 March 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
2 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
4 April 1964 – King’s Hall, Aberystwyth, Wales
5 April 1964 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex with The Rattles
9 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
16 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
23 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
30 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex
2 May 1964 – Silver Blades, Streatham, London
14 May 1964 – Rocky Rivers Top 20 Club, Conservative Club, Bedford
18 June 1964 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Beds with Peter’s Faces
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #4 (July 1964-January 1965)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Louis McKelvey – lead guitar
Malcolm Randall – saxophone
Ray Soper – keyboards (left around September 1964)
Dave Wigginton – bass
Pete Burt – drums
+
Jeff Lake – saxophone (joined around September 1964)
The band’s new drummer was Pete Burt (b. 20 August 1946, Redhill, Surrey), younger brother of Mick Burt, sticks man with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, who answered an advert in the music press. Brought up in South Harrow, Middlesex where he attended Roxeth Manor School, Burt had previously played with a non-professional band that started life at Botwell House, Hayes backing singer Robert (Bob) Chambers.
In an amazing twist of fate, the lead guitarist in the band was Tony Bramwell, Pete Burt’s predecessor Malcolm Tomlinson’s former class mate from Spring Grove Grammar School in Isleworth. The band played a couple of gigs before splitting up around mid-1964. Bramwell then went on to play with local bands, The Fantoms, The Fantom Creed, The Sheratons and The Hum Drum Band.
Sometime in August, the band auditioned for Joe Meek for the first time.
Clockwise from bottom left: Dave Wigginton (bass), Malcolm Randall (sax), Pete Burt (drums), Jeff Curtis (vocals), Jeff Lake (sax) and Louis McKelvey (guitar). Photo: Dave Wigginton
Around late September 1964, Ray Soper was sacked and Malcolm Randall introduced his friend, sax player Jeff Lake. Soper immediately found work with Buddy Britten & The Regents alongside future Deep Purple bass player Nick Simper. He would then work with Cyrano & The Bergeracs, where he reunited with Simper in 1965 but would remain on the fringes of The Flames.
Shortly after Jeff Lake’s arrival, the band returned to Lansdowne Recording Studios in October 1964 to record a two-track demo that included a cover of Solomon Burke and Bert Berns’ “Down In The Valley”.
McKelvey, however, was also growing restless and departed in early January 1965. On the afternoon of his wedding day (most likely in June 1965), he headed to Germany to reunite with former Jeff Curtis & The Flames drummer Malcolm Tomlinson, who was working with James Deane & The London Cats. The guitarist gigged with The London Cats for about a month before returning to London.
Then, around September 1965, McKelvey travelled to South Africa and ended up recording with The Upsetters and The A-Cads. In April 1966, The A-Cads moved to the UK to work with producer Mickie Most but when nothing happened, the guitarist moved to Montreal in September. Based in Canada, McKelvey recorded with Our Generation and Influence before returning to the UK in July 1968 briefly.
Back home he reunited with former Jeff Curtis & The Flames drummer Malcolm Tomlinson. The pair relocated to Toronto in January 1969 where they formed Milkwood and recorded an unreleased album with legendary producer, the late Jerry Ragavoy for Polydor Records. McKelvey would subsequently work with Toronto bands, Damage (alongside Tomlinson) and Powerhouse and record with Marble Hall. He currently lives in Toronto.
Notable gigs:
2 July 1964 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Beds with The All Stars
10 July 1964 – Berkhamsted Town Hall, Berkhamsted, Herts
11 July 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with Clouds
18 July 1964 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire
1 August 1964 – The Gaiety, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Swinging Sounds
6 August 1964 – Rocky Rivers Top 20 Club, Conservative Club, Bedford, Bedfordshire
29 August 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with Kit & The Saracens
8 October 1964 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Beds with The Roulettes
5 December 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with The Midniters
8 December 1964 – Floral Hall, Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk
19 December 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with The Hobos
2 January 1965 – St George’s Hall, Exeter, Devon with Roger & The Sabres (billed as The Flames)
3 January 1965 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Beds with The Mojos
Jeff Curtis & the Flames, late ’64. From left: Louis McKelvey, Jeff Curtis, Dave Wigginton, Pete Burt (front on drums), Jeff Lake and Malcolm Randall.
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #5 (January-February 1965)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Dave Caralambous (aka Dave Carol) – lead guitar
Jeff Lake – saxophone
Malcolm Randall – saxophone
Dave Wigginton – bass
Pete Burt – drums
Dave Marcus Theos Michael Caralambous aka Dave Carol (b. Dave Charalambous, 14 January 1949, Isleworth, Middlesex) was brought up in nearby Twickenham. His first band was The Drovers, which he joined around 1962 and also included rhythm guitarist Richard Allen and drummer Geoff Coxon, who would feature in The Flames’ history in later years when they changed name to The Kool.
In late 1963, The Drovers changed name to The Smokestacks after lead singer Mike Smith joined and Brian Hosking from Twickenham band, The Legend, joined on bass. The Smokestacks became resident band at the 51 Club in central London. In the summer of 1964, Carol joined Hounslow band, The Valkeries and remained with them until January 1965 when he joined The Flames. He was also in the same class at school as McKelvey’s younger sister. Carol says he made his debut at the Locarno Ballroom in Swindon.
The changes, however, didn’t end there. Sax player Malcolm Randall left in early February and subsequently joined Bognor Regis band Beau Brummell & The Noblemen for about six months. In July 1965, he jumped ship to join Manchester’s Playboys.
While with that band, Randall appeared on an excellent soul single for Fontana – “I Feel So Good” c/w “I Close My Eyes”. In an incredible twist of fate, during late 1966, Malcolm Randall was playing with Manchester’s Playboys at Liverpool’s Cavern Club when he saw the latest version of The Noblemen on stage and was amazed to see his former Jeff Curtis & The Flames compatriot Malcolm Tomlinson playing drums!
After leaving Manchester’s Playboys in mid-1968, Malcolm Randall moved to Cambridgeshire and ended up working with Red Express during the 1970s, which later morphed (after Randall had left) into Shakatak. He then worked with Sindy & The Action Men among others.
In need of a replacement, Jeff Lake introduced his friend from Harrow – George Russell.
Notable gigs:
11 January 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with Sonny Childe & The Elders Consolidated
22 January 1965 – Majestic Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear
23 January 1965 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire with The Fourmost
28 January 1965 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Bedfordshire with Johnny Thunder & The Thunderbirds
13 February 1965 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with The Searchers and Rodgers Lodgers (possibly one of George Russell’s first gigs)
Jeff Curtis & the Flames listed as one of the Roy Tempest Organisation’s Top 20 for 1965
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #6 (February-April 1965)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Dave Caralambous (aka Dave Carol) – lead guitar, vocals
Jeff Lake – saxophone
George Russell – saxophone
Dave Wigginton – bass
Pete Burt – drums
With two of the early band members gone, including his former band mate from Johnny & The Pursuers, Louis McKelvey, Dave Wigginton handed in his notice and agreed to work until mid-April. His replacement was Ray Brown (b. 1944, Hayes, Middlesex), who ended up buying Wigginton’s pink Fender Precision bass. Having rehearsed with Jeff Curtis’s band since January, Brown made his debut with Jeff Curtis & The Flames at Walthamstow Assembly Hall on 24 April.
Photo: Walthamstow Guardian
Brown started with the Sky Blue Skiffle Group in 1956 and two years later appeared on BBC TV’s Carol Levis Junior Discoveries. In 1961-1962, he worked with Hayes band The Preachers and also spent a brief period in a short-lived group with Nick Simper. Soon after joining The Flames, Brown and his school friend Steve Reading from the Sky Blue Skiffle Group wrote and sang backing vocals on “Heart Full of Sorrow” by Heinz, which was released on Columbia in November 1965.
Notable gigs:
28 February 1965 – Olympia, Cromer, Norfolk with Circuit Five
5-6 March 1965 – Boulevard, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire with The McCoys
At the Starlight Room, Boston, April 3, 1965 with the Barron Knights
3 April 1965 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with The Barron Knights
9 April 1965 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Escorts and Beaux Maverix (billed as Geoff Curtis & The Flames)
10 April 1965 – Floral Hall, Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk with Confessors
17 April 1965 – The Gaiety, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Sons of Adam
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #7 (April-July 1965)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Dave Caralambous (aka Dave Carol) – lead guitar, vocals
Jeff Lake – saxophone
George Russell – saxophone
Ray Brown – bass
Pete Burt – drums
The new line up gigged around the country and on 9 May appeared on the same bill as Beau Brummell & The Noblemen (featuring former member Malcolm Randall) at the Majestic Ballroom in Luton.
A few days after a gig at Clacton Town Hall with Cops ‘N’ Robbers in late June, Jeff Lake and George Russell took a holiday (a trip to Frankfurt to visit former member Malcolm Randall who was playing with Beau Brummell & The Noblemen), which didn’t go down well with singer Jeff Curtis.
Curtis had a band rule that the musicians all had to take a two-week summer holiday at the same time, usually in August. On their return in July, the two sax players were told their services were no longer needed.
Lake subsequently played with a number of local bands before reuniting with former Jeff Curtis & The Flames member Malcolm Randall as road manager for Manchester’s Playboys, which included their Swedish trip in September 1967. On his return, he joined Tommy Bishop & The Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival Show and appeared on the 1968 Decca single “Midnight Train” c/w “Oh Boy”.
Russell joined Hayes, Middlesex band, The Satellites in mid-1966, who changed name to The Army later that year. The band also included future Sweet bass player Steve Priest and cut two recordings in 1967 – covers of the Joe Tex hit “Sugar” and Sam & Dave’s “You Don’t Know Like I Know”. Russell remained with The Army until late 1968/early 1969. He subsequently gigged with Orange Rainbow before moving to Australia. He later returned to live in Hertfordshire.
Notable gigs:
Ray Brown’s first gig with the band, April 24, 1965
24 April 1965 – Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, London
29 April 1965 – Rocky Rivers Top 20 Club, Conservative Club, Bedford (back by demand)
1 May 1965 – Carfax Ballroom, Oxford with The Gangbusters
3 May 1965 – Radlett (most likely Radlett Centre), Hertfordshire
7-8 May 1965 – Silver Blades, Streatham, London
9 May 1965 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton with Beau Brummell & The Noblemen (former member Malcolm Randall on sax with The Noblemen)
15 May 1965 – Malvern Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with Eric Benson & Orchestra
22 May 1965 – Manor Lounge, Stockport, Greater Manchester with The Thingumajigs (Stockport County Express) Gig cancelled
29 May 1965 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with The Hollies and The Red Squares
11 June 1965 – California Ballroom, Dunstable (replaced one of the billed acts)
12 June 1965 – Rivoli Ballroom, Brockley, London
18 June 1965 – USAF base, South Ruislip, London
25 June 1965 – USAF base, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
26 June 1965 – Clacton Town Hall, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex with Cops ‘N’ Robbers (last gig with Jeff Lake and George Russell)
1 July 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, London (reduced to four piece)
3 July 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire with Peter Fenton & The 3,000
4 July 1965 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
August 1965, from left: Jeff Curtis, Ray Soper, Dave Carol, Pete Burt and Ray Brown. Photo courtesy Ray SoperWhen they were just being billed as The Flames. Photo courtesy Ray Soper. From left: Ray Soper, Dave Carol, Pete Burt, Ray Brown and Jeff Curtis
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #8 (July 1965-May 1966)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Dave Caralambous (aka Dave Carol) – lead guitar, vocals
Ray Soper – keyboards
Ray Brown – bass
Pete Burt – drums
On 5 July, Jeff Curtis auditioned two sax players to replace Jeff Lake and George Russell but decided against keeping the horns and instead invited former member Ray Soper to re-join the band on keyboards. Soper had been playing with future Deep Purple bass player Nick Simper in Cyrano & The Bergeracs for several months and then a group formed by the lead singer of The Gobbledegooks but had helped out at the auditions in January 1965, which had brought in Carol and Brown.
Ray Brown had a prearranged week’s holiday from 10-17 July and his predecessor Dave Wigginton returned to honour engagements in his absence, which included a gig at the Ticky Rick Club in Basingstoke, Hants on 17 July. With Brown back from his holiday, the five-piece rehearsed on 21 July before playing their first gig together at Luton’s Majestic Ballroom where there was a bomb scare.
Often billed as simply “The Flames”, the new line up lasted nearly a year (although Soper left in November briefly to work with a Casino band on the Isle of Man, which lasted a week before he returned).
Pete Burt, who worked as a window cleaner when The Flames weren’t gigging, got a window cleaning job with British rock ‘n’ roll legend, Johnny Kidd, who had split from his longstanding backing band, The Pirates on 19 April 1966. Kidd offered The Flames some work to fulfil his outstanding dates.
During late April/early May 1966, The Flames spent about a week backing the singer, including playing a gig at Chatham Dockyard Naval base, but the arrangement did not suit either party.
Around this time, The Flames returned to Lansdowne Studios to cut two original recordings – the David Myers/Ray Brown collaborations, “Room at the Top” and “I Ain’t The Fool”. The former was later cut by the band’s new identity, The Kool, in the summer of 1967. They also did a second audition with Joe Meek.
After Ray Soper was ousted from The Flames in May, he decided to stick with Kidd and formed a new version of The Pirates. The New Pirates (as they were called) supported Johnny Kidd throughout the summer but Soper stopped playing with the band in August. Two months later, he joined Bristol band, The Denims who were playing US bases in France. After working in Strasbourg for two months as The Headline News, he returned to the UK in April 1967.
Three months later, Soper found work playing in a band on the Cunard Cruise liner Carmania, which travelled between Southampton and Montreal on a six-week passage. Marrying a Canadian, he subsequently immigrated to Canada in 1970 and until recently played with The Dusty Roads Band from his home in Ontario. He also works as a film extra.
Notable gigs:
17 July 1965 – Ricky Tick Club, Carnival Hall, Basingstoke, Hants (Dave Wigginton fills in for Ray Brown)
22 July 1965 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Bedfordshire (RayBrown returns and Ray Soper’s first gig back with the band)
24 July 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Rising Sons
Photo: Leicester Mercury
25 September 1965 – Il Rondo, Leicester
Photo: Windsor, Slough & Eton Express
2 October 1965 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
30 October 1965 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
Photo: Surrey Comet
11 November 1965 – Byron Hotel, Greenford, London with The Keystones (billed as The Flames)
Jeff Curtis & The Flames were featured in the Surrey Comet‘s 13 November 1965 issue but it was full of factual errors (above)
9 December 1965 – Byron Hotel, Greenford, London with the Harmonies
16 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, London
18 December 1965 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
24 December 1965 – Woodstock Roadhouse, North Cheam, London
1 January 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with The Nashville Teens and The Game
13 January 1966 – Woodstock Roadhouse, North Cheam, London (billed as The Flames)
22 January 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with Plain and Fancy
12 February 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Goldie & Dave Antony’s Moods and The Game
17 February 1966 – Byron Roadhouse, Greenford, London with The Mode (billed as The Flames)
31 March 1966 – Byron Roadhouse, Greenford, London with The Legends (billed as The Flames)
Photo: Windsor, Slough & Eton Express
23 April 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
7 May 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Ying Yongs and The Cotswold Stones (one of Ray Soper’s final gigs)
Publishing contract for “Room at the Top” and “I Aint the Fool”, May 1966 courtesy of Ray BrownHeadline News, circa late 1966. Ray Soper is second from left
Jeff Curtis & The Flames #9 (May 1966-August 1967)
Jeff Curtis – lead vocals
Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals
Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals
Ray Brown – bass
Pete Burt – drums
The remaining members brought in Richard Hodgins, a keyboard player from Shepperton, Surrey, who used the stage name, Jet Hodges. Originally a bass player, Hodges had taken up music full time after training to be an architect.
Increasingly, the band moved away from using the name, Jeff Curtis & The Flames for live shows and often went by the name, The Jeff Curtis Set or just The Flames. One of the highlights from this period was opening for Ike & Tina Turner when they played at the California Ballroom in Dunstable.
In late 1966, rock promoter and entrepreneur Mervyn Conn, started to represent the band. In December 1966, he added Jeff Curtis & The Flames to a Who concert in Sunderland and renamed the band The Kool for this one-off gig, although the group didn’t appear at the venue.
After signing to CBS Records, Conn decided that The Kool was more representative of the band’s evolving sound and renamed them as the band’s debut single hit the shops.
Notable gigs:
11 June 1966 – Corby Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire with Two of Each (billed as The Flames)
20 August 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Showmen
Photo: Paul Quinton
2 September 1966 – Woodstock Roadhouse, North Cheam, London (billed as The Flames)
3 September 1966 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton with Sexion A (billed as The Flames)
18 September 1966 – White Lion, Edgware, London (billed as The Flames)
24 September 1966 – Drill Hall, North Cheam, London with The Fourtunes
Photo: Paul Quinton
2 October 1966 – Prince of Wales, Kinsbury, London
22 October 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable with Ike & Tina Turner Revue & The Ikettes (with others)
24 October 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London with Edwin Starr
Photo: Paul Quinton
30 October 1966 – Woodstock Roadhouse, North Cheam, London (billed as The Flames)
5 November 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Undertakers and Some Other Guys. Billed as The London Flames (Jeff Curtis)
10 November 1966 – Byron Roadhouse, Greenford, London with The Boots (billed as The Flames)
Photo: Paul Quinton
12 November 1966 – Drill Hall, North Cheam, London with 5 Steps Beyond (billed as The Flames)
Photo: Windsor, Slough & Eton Express
13 November 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
18 November 1966 – Woodstock Roadhouse, North Cheam, London (billed as The Flames)
10 December 1966 – Empire Theatre, Sunderland, County Durham with The Who, Dave Berry, She Trinity, The Slade Brothers and The Peddlers (billed as The Kool but band did not appear)
18 December 1966 – Woodstock Roadhouse, North Cheam, London (billed as The Flames)
15 January 1967 – White Lion, Edgware, London (billed as The Flames)
28 January 1967 – Queens Hall, Watton, Norfolk with The Eyes of Blond and The Bohemians
19 February 1967 – Kingsway Theatre, Hadleigh, Essex (billed as Flames)
9 March 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, Essex with The Style (billed as Jeff Curtis Set)
27 March 1967 – Woodstock, North Cheam, London with The Starfires (billed as The Flames)
9 June 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Allen Bown Set (billed as Geoff Curtis Set)
The Keith Gardiner Band, July 2011
Many thanks to Dave Wigginton, Keith Gardiner, Louis McKelvey, Malcolm Tomlinson, Pete Burt, Dave Carol, Malcolm Randall, Ray Soper, Jeff Lake, Ray Brown, George Russell, Jimmy Marsh, Ian Hannah, Brian Hosking, Richard Bennett and Tony Bramwell.
Concert adverts taken from a number of newspapers including the Ampthill News & Weekly Record, Lincolnshire Standard, the Luton News, the Streatham News, the Surrey Comet, Walthamstow Guardian, Exeter Express & Echo, Cambridgeshire Times, Yarmouth Mercury, Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette, Hertfordshire Express, Hants & Berkshire Gazette, Hounslow Post, NME, Sevenoaks Chronicle, Westerham Courier and Kentish Advertiser and Melody Maker.
Huge thanks to Dave Wigginton, Keith Gardiner, Louis McKelvey, Malcolm Randall, Jeff Lake, Ray Brown and Ray Soper for photos.
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.
Page 3 of the Jerry Lee Lewis Channel Crossing ProgrammePage 6 of the Jerry Lee Lewis Channel Crossing ProgrammePage 7 of the Jerry Lee Lewis Channel Crossing Programme
Kerrilee Male (vocals) Michael Rosen (guitar, vocals, trumpet) Georg Hultgreen (guitar, vocals) Trevor Lucas (bass, vocals) Gerry Conway (drums)
1967
August Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist Mike Rosen is living in London and meets Norwegian singer/songwriter and guitarist Georg Hultgreen (b. Prince Georg Johan Tchegodaieff, Trondheim, Norway) in a restaurant in Bayswater called Bangers, where he is playing Gordon Lightfoot songs on his 12-string guitar. Hultgreen is the son of Russian prince Pavel Tchegodaieff and Finnish sculptress Johanna Kajanus. They suggest forming a group and round up players from the folk-rock scene. Australian singer/guitarist Trevor Lucas (b. 25 December 1943, Melbourne, Australia; d. 4 February 1989) is recruited after the pair see him perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival and he recommends fellow Australian Kerrilee Male (Newsome) as a singer. Lucas has recorded several albums in Australia before moving the UK in 1965 while Male has previously been a member of Dave’s Place Group with Dave Guard from The Kingston Trio. The final piece in the jigsaw is English drummer Gerry Conway (b. 11 September 1947, King’s Lynn, Norfolk), who was previously a member of Alexis Korner’s backing group. Rosen’s friend, Joni Mitchell names the band, Eclection because in her words, they were such an eclectic bunch. October (16) Band members, Trevor Lucas and Kerrilee Male appear at the Royal Festival Hall for a folk festival, which features a number of artists, including future Eclection singer Dorris Henderson. December (1) Eclection appear at Middle Earth in London, opening for visiting US act, The Electric Prunes.
1968
April (30)Eclection appear on BBC Radio 1’s Top Gear performing Mark Time, In Her Mind, In The Early Days, Morning of Yesterday and Confusion, which is broadcast on 12 May. June Eclection hold a press reception at London’s Revolution club. (21) The group’s debut single, Rosen’s Nevertheless backed by the non-album single, Hultgreen’s Mark Time is released but does not chart. Around this time, Eclection appear at the Paradiso club in Amsterdam and appear on Dutch TV. (28) Eclection perform seven songs from their forthcoming album on BBC 2’s Colour Me Pop, including In The Early Days, Morning of Yesterday, Nevertheless, Mark Time and Another Time, Another Place. July (23) Eclection record a second John Peel session for BBC radio, recording Another Time, Another Place, Nevertheless, St Georg & The Dragon and Will You Be The Same? The show is broadcast on 28 July. August (24) The band joins Ten Years After, Family, Peter Sarstedt, Fleetwood Mac, Stefan Grossman, Roy Harper, Fairport Convention and The Deviants for a show in Hyde Park, London. (30) Eclection’s eponymous debut album, produced by Australian Ossie Byrne, is released in the UK to critical acclaim. September (1)The group appears on John Peel’s Top Gear with Tim Hardin, Fairport Convention and Fleetwood Mac. (4)The band makes its debut at the Marquee in London, supporting by Keef Hartley. (11) The Eclection return the following week to the Marquee with Gordon Smith the opening act. (15) The band plays at the Bird Cage, Harlow. (25) They appear at Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex with Village in support. (29) The band performs at Fairfield Hall, Croydon, Surrey with Jethro Tull, David Ackles, The Alan Price Set, Spooky Tooth, The Nice and Julie Driscoll & The Brian Auger Trinity. October (5)Eclection travel to Birmingham and appear at Mothers with Ron Greesin. (11) The group’s second single, a cover of US folk-rock band, Kaleidoscope’s Please, which is another non-album track, is released but fails to chart. The group plays a show at the Factory in Birmingham. (12)They appear at Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex with Proteus. (16) The band is guest group on BBC 1’s Friday Play where they perform their latest single. American singer Dorris Henderson (b. 1933, Lakeland, Florida; d. 3 March 2005) replaces Kerrilee Male, who leaves after recording their second single. Male holidays in Rome, Italy while trying to decide on her future plans and eventually returns to Australia. (23) Eclection play at the Marquee in London supported by Pegasus. November Eclection’s latest single Please is re-released with Dorris Henderson’s lead vocal replacing Male’s. (6) The band appears at the Marquee in London, supported by East of Eden. (8) The group performs at the Student’s Union, Battersea, London. (19) Eclection record a John Peel session with producer Bernie Andrews at the BBC’s Piccadilly Studio 1, which comprises Please and three new songs: If I Love Her, Days Left Behind and Time For Love. The session log lists Kerry Male as female singer rather than Dorris Henderson and the show is broadcast on 18 December. December (1) The Beach Boys kick off a 10-day UK tour at the London Palladium with Eclection in support. (8) As part of the tour, they appear at the Astoria, Finsbury Park, London. (14) Eclection appear at Mothers in Birmingham with Ron Greesin. (28) The band plays at Leyton Baths Hall, Leyton, Essex.
1969
January (23) Eclection play at the Speakeasy in London. (25)The group performs at Lanchester Arts Festival in Coventry with Family. (28) The band is supported by Milkwood at Klook’s Kleek, West Hampstead. February (7)Eclection play at Mothers in Birmingham. (28) The band appears at the Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green. April (6) After Eclection shares the bill with Fairport Convention at Mothers in Birmingham, Mike Rosen leaves. The remaining members recruit top jazz guitarist Gary Boyle (b. 24 November 1941, Patna, Behar, India) from The Brian Auger Trinity and vibes player John “Poli” Palmer (b. 25 May 1943, Evesham, Worcestershire), formely a member of Blossom Toes. (21) Eclection’s new line up records another BBC John Peel session with producer Bernie Andrews at the Playhouse Theatre. The session comprises a cover of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, three new numbers written by Hultgreen: Earth, Restitution and Put On Your Face and the uncredited Charity. The show is broadcast on 27 April. (23)The revised line up appears at the Pavilion in Hemel Hempstead. (25)The group returns to Birmingham to play a show at Mothers. (26) Eclection perform at Portsmouth College of Education with Harmony Grass. May (11) Eclection play at Mothers in Birmingham with Fairport Convention. (14) The band appears at East Ham Town Hall with The Gods. (20) The group plays at the Speakeasy in London. (29) Sharing the bill with Yes, King Crimson, Bridget St John and Principal Edwards, Eclection appear at the Van Dyke Club in Plymouth, Devon. When Julie Driscoll leaves his band, Brian Auger contacts Gary Boyle and asks him to rejoin. The guitarist leaves just before a prestigious show at the Albert Hall the following week. June (5)Stripped down to a quintet, Eclection appear at the Albert Hall supporting American singer/songwriter Richie Havens. A third single, Rosen’s Confusion, taken from the band’s album is set for release and then delayed. July (6) Eclection play at Mothers in Birmingham with Fairport Convention. (7)The band returns to the Marquee in London supported by Grail. (21) The group plays another show at the Marquee, once again supported by Grail. (25) Eclection join Roy Harper and The Liverpool Scene for a show at the Lyceum on the Strand in London. (26)The band appears alongside Family at the Dunstable Civic Hall. August (3)The group plays at the Country Club in Belsize Park, London. (4) The band performs at the Marquee in London, supported by Cressida. (17) They play at the Nottingham Boat Club. (24) Eclection appear at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London with Quintessence, Stray and Mariupilami. (25)The group performs another show at the Marquee in London. (29-31)Eclection appear at the Isle of Wight Festival, which features The Pretty Things, Mighty Baby, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, The Nice, Gypsy, Blonde on Blonde, Blodwyn Pig, Edgar Broughton Band, Aynsley Dunbar, Marsha Hunt and White Trash, Family, Free, The Who, Fat Matress, Joe Cocker, The Moody Blues, The Liverpool Scene, Third Ear Band, Indo Jazz Fusions, Gary Farr, Tom Paxton, Pentangle, Julie Felix, Richie Havens, The Band and Bob Dylan. Soon after their appearance, Hultgreen leaves the band. He subsequently adopts his mother’s maiden name Kajanus and forms the group, Sailor, which scores with a UK #2 hit with A Glass of Champagne in 1975 and a UK #7 hit with Girls, Girls, Girls in 1977, both penned by Kajanus. SeptemberAfter getting married and visiting his wife’s parents in New York, sailing on the QE2, former member Mike Rosen returns to the UK and joins James Litherland’s Brotherhood, which later changes name to Mogul Thrash. (6) Eclection make an appearance at the Dunstable Music Festival in Queensbury Hall, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Fleetwood Mac, Junior Eyes and Eire Apparent. (12)The band plays at the Fishmongers Arms, Wood Green, London. (17)Eclection appear at the Railway Hotel, Bishop Stortford. (20)They play at Dudley Town Hall, Dudley. (23)The group performs at the Speakeasy in London. (26) Travelling to Birmingham, they appear at Mothers. (27) Eclection play at Philippa Fawcett College, Streatham, London. (28)The group performs at Redcar Coatham Hotel with The Third Ear Band. (29) The band makes its final Marquee appearance supported by Gypsy. October (3)The group joins Blodwyn Pig and Aynsley Dunbar for a show at University College, London. (4) Eclection play at St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. (16)They appear at Green’s Playhouse, Glasgow with Fleetwood Mac and The Sleaz Band. (25) The band plays Barking College in Dagenham, Essex. November (2)Eclection appear at the Country Club, Belsize Park, London. (8) The group performs at Essex University in Colchester with East of Eden also on the bill. (9) Eclection play at the Wake Arms in Loughton. (21)The band appears at King’s College on the Strand with Shape of The Rain. (23) They are due to appear at the Nottingham Boat Club but the show is cancelled and Clouds take their place. (29) Eclection, The John Dummer Blues Group and Gracious appear at Chelsea College, London. December (5)The group plays one of its final shows at Goldsmith’s College in New Cross, London with Tech-Neek and The Night People. Palmer leaves to join Family while Lucas and Conway form Fotheringay with Lucas’s girlfriend, Sandy Denny from Fairport Convention. Henderson returns to a solo career but later revives the band’s name with new players.
Sources:
Down at the Boat: The bands that played at the Nottingham Boat Club by Keith and Juliet Atkinson and Tony James. London Live by Tony Bacon, Balafron Press, 1999. Mothers 1968-1971 by Kevin Duffy, Birmingham City Council, 1997. Peel Sessions by Ken Gardner, BBC Books, 2007. Revelation, Elektra Records’ newsletter Strange Brew – Eric Clapton & The British Blues Boom 1965-1970, by Christopher Hjort, Jawbone Press, 2007 Time Out magazine, 1968-1969 Richie Unterberger’s liner notes to Eclection CD re-issue on Collector’s Choice Music Valentine, 2 November 1968
Thank you to Georg Kajanus and Gary Boyle for their input in this article.
I would particularly like to acknowledge Mike Capewell’s exhaustive site for material: www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/
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
Harry Vanda, guitar and vocals George Young, guitar and vocals George Alexander, guitar Ian Campbell, bass and vocals Freddie Smith, drumsWhen The Easybeats broke up in late 1969, following a final Australian tour, songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young returned to the UK to join forces with Young’s older brother Alex (who had changed his name to George Alexander as leader of Grapefruit) and they recorded under various aliases, including Paintbox, Moondance and Tramp.
While it cannot be said with any certainty who else was involved in the recordings issued under the names Paintbox, Moondance and Tramp, it is likely that Scottish bass player and singer Ian Campbell and Scottish drummer Freddie Smith, both of whom had worked with George Alexander in Tony Sheridan & The Big Six in the mid-1960s, were the remaining musicians involved. Both definitely played on later recordings, released under other aliases, including Grapefruit, Haffy’s Whisky Sour and Marcus Hook Roll Band. Freddie Smith also recorded on some post-Shel Talmy Easybeats recordings in 1967.
Paintbox’s lone single, released in June 1970, was a Miki Dallon production and was a typical British commercial soul number. The ‘A’ side was written by George Alexander while Harry Vanda and George Young composed the ‘B’ side. Interestingly, some copies came in a picture sleeve depicting five black musicians.
The same week the Paintbox 45 came out on Young Blood, A&M Records released a second single by the group under the name Moondance. “Lazy River” is a catchy Vanda and Young song while “Anna St Claire” is by George Alexander. In Germany, the single came in a picture sleeve, depicting two men, who bare no resemblance to the band members! In 1971 ”Lazy River” was released in Australia under the name Vanda and Young for Albert Productions with a different ‘B’ side titled ”Free And Easy”, also written by Vanda and Young.
In July, a second Young Blood single came out under the name Tramp. “Vietnam Rose” is a Vanda and Young composition while “Each Day” is by George Alexander. The single was also released in Germany and France. After this release, the group left Young Blood and signed to Deram, releasing two singles under the Haffy’s Whisky Sour and Grapefruit aliases. The Paintbox single was re-released in 1971 with “Get Ready For Love” having a slightly longer intro.
Paintbox 45s: Get Ready For Love/Can I Get To Know You (Young Blood YB 1015) 1970 Get Ready For Love/Can I Get To Know You (Young Blood YB 1029) 1971
Moondance 45: Lazy River/Anna St Claire (A&M AMS 792) 1970
Tramp 45: Vietnam Rose/Each Day (Young Blood 1014) 1970
Scrugg live, left to right: Chris Demetriou, Jack Russell, Henry Spinetti (hidden) and John Kongos
Johnny Kongos news clip October 1966
Buried in the welter of superlative singles issued in September 1967 was an intriguing release by an Anglo-South African group with a suitably ‘flower power’ name, Floribunda Rose. A forgotten gem, ‘One Way Street’ c/w ‘Linda Loves Linda’, should have been a resounding hit but despite being plugged incessantly by several notable radio stations, it barely made a ripple. Floribunda Rose may have been lost to a bygone age but its lead singer and principal songwriter remains one of South Africa’s most successful exports and would years later become synonymous with one of Brit Pop’s most enduring anthems, The Happy Monday’s ‘He’s Gonna Step On You Again’.
Johnny Kongos
Born in Jo’burg on 6 August 1945 to Greek parents, aspiring singer/songwriter and guitarist Johnny Kongos had formed his first group, The Dukes, when he was 15 years old and began carving out a local following playing at his mother’s club, the Fireplace in Boksburg.
Joined by former Mickie Most & The Playboys guitarist Hank Squires in 1962, the group morphed into Johnny Kongos & The G-Men and over the next three years released nearly twenty singles and half a dozen albums for the Teal and RCA labels.
In late 1963, Kongos made his first exploratory visit to the UK but despite auditioning for a couple of major labels, and running into Hank Squires’s former band leader, Mickie Most, now a fledgling producer, Kongos failed to make an impact.
Empty handed, he returned to Jo’burg and reformed The G-Men. Plans to consolidate his earlier successes, however, were soon thrown in the air when the singer was called up for national defence training in late 1964.
Returning to civilian life six months later, Kongos picked up where he’d left off and recorded a final single with The G-Men, ‘Until It’s Time For You To Go’, which secured a release on Teal, the South African distributor for the Pye label.
Record Express, July 1966
Thanks to these connections, Kongos elected to return to the UK in April 1966, where he befriended Pye’s manager/producer John Schroeder. Sufficiently impressed by Kongos’s audition tape, Schroeder secured a solo deal with Pye’s subsidiary label, Piccadilly.
The fruits of the ensuing sessions turned up on the singer’s debut UK single – the folky, self penned ‘I Love Mary’, backed with the poppy Kongos/Leroy number, ‘Good Time Party Companion’, released that September. Credited to John T Kongos, the single was well received but did nothing chart-wise.
004 in Personality, November 1965
Chris Demetriou, 1967
004
Soon after the single’s release, Kongos was back in South Africa beginning work on a fresh clutch of songs with the intention of recording an album. One night in April 1967, he dropped into the 505 club in Jo’burg’s trendy Hillbrow district and caught British group, The 004 entertaining the crowds (see The 004 page for a closer inspection of this fascinating group). Suitably impressed, he approached the band members after they’d finished their set and asked them to help him cut the planned album as paid musicians.
A hugely popular live act, The 004 had arrived in South Africa by boat in July 1965 on the back of a contract offered to the group’s lead guitarist, Pete Clifford (b. 10 May 1943, Whetstone, London). A former member of Dusty Springfield’s backing group, The Echoes, Clifford had first visited South Africa during 1964 and participated in the singer’s infamous tour where she was deported for refusing to play to segregated audiences.
While the tour had been a PR disaster, Clifford had been promised some lucrative work by Trevor Boswell, husband of South African 1950s star, Eve Boswell, and co-owner of the Keleti Artist Agency, if he could return from London with a new group.
Clifford sought around for suitable musicians and quickly recruited Welsh rhythm guitarist and singer Brian Gibson from The Laurie Jay Combo, who in turn recommended fellow countryman, bass player and singer Jack Russell (b. 29 April 1944, Caerleon, Wales).
Gibson and Russell had known each other for years, having first worked together in The Victors, resident band at the Latin Quarter, one of London’s top theatre restaurants.
“I had a call on the Monday from Brian,” remembers Russell, who was working as a manager for Vox in Dartford at the time. “He asked me if I fancied joining him in a band that was going to South Africa. I said, ‘Yes’ and asked, ‘When do we go?’ He said, ‘Thursday!’”
With Londoner Peter Stember (today a successful US-based photographer) completing the line up on drums, The 004 sailed for Durban and soon shot to local fame as one of the top groups working the clubs, so much so that they landed jobs supporting Gene Vincent and The Ivy League.
During 1966, the band released a handful of singles for CBS, including ‘The In Crowd’ and a decent album, It’s Alright, before Stember returned to the UK in August.
In his place, The 004s recruited Dutch-born, South African raised drummer Nick ‘Doc’ Dokter (b. 24 July 1945, Kampen, Overijsel, The Netherlands), who possessed an impressive musical CV, including a stint with The Leemen Limited alongside South African guitar legend, the late Ken E Henson.
Originally a bass player, Dokter moved to drums early his career after the sticksman in the garage band he was playing in gave up music for a regular job. Working with future A-Cads singer Sammy Evans in a factory making boilers, the pair struck up a friendship and in an interesting turn of events both ended up joining Johnny Kongos’ group The G-Men after the singer was called up for military service.
“We all went and played at John’s place, the Fireplace,” recalls Dokter. “From there I met Kenny Henson, who needed a drummer, so I moved to Durban to join Leemen Limited.”
After two rare singles on the Continental label, including a great version of ‘In The Midnight Hour’ backed by John Mayall’s ‘Heartaches’, it was time to move on again.
“I was just hanging around and Pete Clifford approached me. Peter Stember was leaving The 004 and he just said, ‘Why don’t you just come out and play with us?’ I was really a young kid and I had no experience of playing big clubs. They kinda took me under their wing.”
With Dokter filling the vacant drum stool, The 004 spent the remainder of 1966 consolidating their live reputation. When Gibson handed in his notice in early 1967 (later joining progressive rock band, Abstract Truth, alongside Henson), The 004 briefly recruited guitarist Barry Mitchell from rival band, The In Crowd, but the line up never gelled and when Kongos dropped into the 505, the group had been stripped to a trio.
“John originally offered a job to Jack and Pete,” says Dokter. “I wasn’t included in this. Eve Boswell’s son was originally going to be the drummer. He did some demos with Pete and Jack but it didn’t work out. I happened to be in one of the sessions and just took over.”
As Kongos recalls, he always intended to employ a Farfisa organ sound on his album so when Clifford, Dokter and Russell took up the offer to record with him, they were joined in the studio by a fifth member, Chris Demetriou (more commonly known as Chris Dee).
Chris Demetriou
Former keyboard player with Johannesburg’s finest R&B group, John E Sharpe & The Squires (see the Chris Demetriou interview page for more information on this band), Cyprus-born Demetriou had appeared on all of The Squires’ classic singles, including covers of The Kinks’ ‘Stop Your Sobbing’ and Paul Simon’s ‘I Am A Rock’, as well as the highly sought after Maybelline album.
“John located me through the Jo’burg Greek club,” remembers Demetriou. “I was invited to his house and the next thing I knew we were planning to leave the country and seek fame and fortune in London.”
As Kongos relates, his plan had always been to return to the UK with a band as soon as possible and use the recordings to secure further work. Looking back on the sessions, he dismisses most of the material as forgettable.
“I had written a bunch of songs and I basically wanted to do demos. I went into the studio with all of the guys and wound up taking that ‘album’ of demos to the UK.”
As events panned out, the band got half way through the recording when Kongos made a proposition: rather than pay the musicians for the sessions, he would cover everyone’s fares to UK.
The as-yet unnamed Floribunda Rose in Jo’burg, May 1967. Left to right: Pete Clifford, Jack Russell, John Kongos, Chris Demetriou and Nick Dokter
Floribunda Rose
According to Russell, it made sense to return home and crack the British market, especially when Kongos had connections in the music industry. “He would have been a fool not to do that,” he says. “He had a contract in his back pocket with Pye and a contract with Maurice King who ran the Walker Brothers among others; it was a stable worth getting into.”
Before setting off by boat in May 1967, the newly formed group posed for some publicity photos in Kongos’s Jo’burg house. Then, a few days’ later, set sail for England, writing and rehearsing material, including the Kongos-Russell collaboration, ‘Linda Loves Linda’, in preparing for the assault on the British market.
Throughout the long journey the group struggled to come up with a suitable name. “I wanted to call it Kongos’s Magic Dragon but [John] wouldn’t have it,” says Russell.
In fact, as the bass player explains, the musicians only agreed on Floribunda Rose on the way to their first gig! Having arrived at Maurice King’s office during their first week in London, the manager calmly informed the musicians that they had a gig the next day and studio time booked a few weeks later.
A second hand camper van was hastily purchased in Earl’s Court and the band set off for its debut gig – a small club in Castleford, West Yorkshire on 14 July, stopping off in central London on route to pick the elusive name.
“John and I walked across the street in Baker Street to a book shop, desperate to find a name for the band,” recalls Russell. “Flower power was at its zenith, so we plumped for Floribunda Rose. A bloody daft name but that was where people were at.”
After a handful of gigs in the north and the midlands, including shows in Tadcaster, Burnley and Tamworth, Floribunda Rose made their London debut at Tiles on Oxford Street on 19 August.
Around this time, the group also cut its debut single under Schroeder’s watchful eye – the poppy ‘Linda Loves Linda’ – supposedly a tale of female narcissism, backed by Kongos’s infectious, and rather Beatlesque, ‘One Way Street’. The plug side, with its ‘Everyone is Loving Everywhere’ lyric, ‘fairground’ organ and free-form ending, chimes perfectly with the ‘peace, love vibe’.
Released in September 1967 on Pye’s Piccadilly subsidiary and the same week that Radio 1 aired, ‘Linda Loves Linda’ benefited from its publicity and was heavily plugged by Tony Blackburn and Pete Murray.
“We were very lucky,” says Russell. “Maurice King was an operator. He knew his stuff and employed a plugger who would go round the BBC with new releases.”
“In those days you had to get on the BBC play-list. We were on the first week of Radio 1. Only three singles a week out of the 80 releases used to get on that, which was fantastic.”
To coincide with the station’s launch, the group recorded a BBC Radio 1 session with Brian Matthews on 25 September for a show that was replacing Saturday Club, cutting new versions of ‘Linda Loves Linda’ and ‘One Way Street’, along with covers of Paul Simon’s ‘Bright Green Pleasure Machine’ and ‘59th Bridge Street Song’. None of the tracks have been released and remain buried somewhere in the BBC archive.
Yet despite getting on to the new play list, recording a live session and having a Juke Box Jury appearance as ‘mystery band’ (on 8 September) and being voted a hit, the single stiffed.
The group returned to the daily grind of touring, often travelling hundreds of miles to play small clubs and sharing the bill with the likes of The Zombies, Dave Berry and Lonnie Donegan to name a few.
“Most of our gigs were up and down the M1 at less prestigious venues,” recalls Demetriou. “We did play some university events and supported more well known acts.”
“There are lots of little funny things that happened with Floribunda Rose,” adds Kongos. “It was really corny actually – attempting to jump on the ‘Flower Power’ bandwagon. We did dumb things like throw out flowers to the crowd at the end of a the gig [which] went down really well in Workingmen’s clubs (not!)
“I think the best thing about the band was that we did really intricate medleys of known songs – a little like Vanilla Fudge, in the sense that the versions were very different.”
Book-ending the year, Floribunda Rose spent a month playing at the Top Ten in Hamburg, grafting for six hours a night to a largely unappreciative crowd. While there, Dokter remembers rubbing shoulders with the musicians that would later go on to form the nucleus of heavy rock band, Deep Purple.
Exhausted, the group drove home non-stop, heading straight for the Scottish Highlands in the first week of January where the first cracks in the band’s precarious line up surfaced.
“We did one [10-day] tour of Scotland [and] that was the last thing I did with them,” remembers Clifford, who left after the final gig on 14 January. “I then flew out from the freezing cold to the humid heat of Durban and nearly died. I had a pair of leather jack boots and a Scottish hiking jacket!”
Pete Clifford returns to South Africa and joins the Bats
Back in South Africa, the guitarist joined The Bats, appearing on the highly sought after Image album (which includes the superb ‘Money Ain’t Worth a Dang’) and also playing numerous sessions, most notably providing bouzouki on Freedom Children’s debut album, Battle Hymn of The Broken Hearted Horde. During the late 1960s and 1970s, he became one of South Africa’s most respected guitarists and continues to tour with The Bats.
“[Pete] and John just butted like rams,” explains Russell on the guitarist’s dramatic exit. “Pete was very experienced. He had worked with some major people. He knew his stuff and was a good guitar player but basically John didn’t want a lead guitarist.”
“Pete Clifford was an incredible guitar player and so was John,” adds Dokter. “They were both very talented. It was good for Pete to actually go on his own and work with The Bats and John had the freedom to do what he wanted to do.”
Kongos has the last word: “Pete was not satisfied with the lack of progress in the band – it wasn’t easy travelling hundreds of miles to little gigs and winding up almost out of pocket at the end of the day. Musically too, it was not satisfying for us because we had different ideas. We got on each others’ nerves and could have been the model for Spinal Tap if we’d made it.”
Nick Dokter departs
With Clifford gone and Kongos assuming lead guitar duties, it wasn’t long before Dokter also bailed. “Nick was married and his wife was getting bored with the difficulties of not making money,” explains Kongos on the drummer’s departure in late February after a 10-day stand at the Nova club in Kensington, West London.
A qualified boilermaker, Dokter briefly returned to South Africa where he worked a day job while playing with various local groups. In the late 1960s, he moved to his country of birth, Holland, and returned to school to study engineering. Turning down an offer to join The Golden Earring, he subsequently emigrated to Canada in 1969.
During the early 1970s, he got back into playing and recorded an unreleased album with 5 Man Cargo, which later morphed in Cross Town Bus. Through this group he met promoter Bruce Allan and ended up working for his agency for nearly two decades, although Dokter did make occasion trips back to South Africa where he played with his old buddy Kenny Henson in his duo, Finch & Henson among other projects.
“Needless to say, being on the road for 20 years, six-to-nine months at a time, took its toll and I became a studio/session drummer,” says Dokter, who retired from playing full-time in 1989 and currently lives in Vancouver. In the summer of 2009, he plans to visit the UK and catch up with Jack Russell, who he hasn’t seen since early 1968.
Scrugg, 1968, left to right: Jack Russell, Chris Demetriou, John Kongos and Henry Spinetti
Scrugg
With Dokter out of the picture, the remaining members returned to London where Russell and Demetriou found themselves caught up in a police raid at their shared flat. “Unbeknown to us, while we were away in Germany and Scotland our road manager had been renting our rooms out,” says Russell, recalling the tragic event.
“People had been using our place as a doss house and these guys had been dealing. We hadn’t a clue the police had been watching the place and we arrived back the morning they hit the place. We were fitted up and forced to plead guilty. We were fined £50 and got front page of The Sun.”
Putting the loss of Dokter behind them, Russell returned to the Welsh valleys and brought back 16-year-old wonder kid, Henry Spinetti (b. 31 March 1951, Cwm, Wales), younger brother of Victor Spinetti and today Katie Melua’s drummer.
With two weeks’ work lined up at the Top Ten in Hamburg, kicking off on 1 March, the group headed for the continent bearing a new name – Scrugg. “I chose the name because we wanted a more earthy image and I was a fan of Earl Scruggs the banjo player,” admits Russell.
“That was a suggestion that we all made,” chips in Clifford, who believes the name was discussed while he was still a member. “We were all trying to think of a new image and I think I left on the verge of Scrugg because I’ve got a picture of Floribunda Rose and then in brackets it says ‘Scrugg’.”
Under its new guise, Scrugg returned to the studios with John Schroeder to work on the first of three classic singles, which, as David Wells rightly points out in the liners for the John Kongos’s compilation album, Lavender Popcorn, “remain exquisite examples of the psychedelic pop sound.”
Scrugg’s debut outing, released on Pye in April 1968, coupled two John Kongos numbers – ‘Everyone Can See’ backed with ‘I Wish I Was Five’. The latter is undoubtedly the stronger of the two and is notable for Lew Warburton’s stirring string arrangement (based directly on Russell’s bass line) and Demetriou’s moody organ playing, which heightens the tension, building to a dramatic climax. A yearning for the innocence and honesty of youth, ‘I Wish I Was Five’ should have been the side to plug and perhaps not surprisingly the single went nowhere.
Two months later, Pye rushed out a follow up, a cover of Scott English’s poppy ‘Lavender Popcorn’, backed by the Kongos penned ‘Sandwich Board Man’, which the singer says was inspired by said character who he used to see regularly on Oxford Street.
A noted songwriter, English, had serious pop credentials and had scored hits with covers of ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ and ‘Bend Me Shape Me’, but the group was uncomfortable recording such a blatant teeny-bopper, bubblegum track. The band’s producer, however, overruled any objections and even contributed to the recording by playing piano with a plectrum! “John Schroeder said, ‘You’re doing it’,” remembers Russell. “‘You’ve had two of your own and you’re doing one of mine now, so shut up!’”
Tailor-made for the pop market, ‘Lavender Popcorn’ should have been Scrugg’s commercial breakthrough but like its predecessors faded into obscurity.
Scrugg on stage, left to right: Chris, Henry (hidden on drums), Jack and John
Forced to make a living on the road, Scrugg resumed their busy touring schedule travelling the length and breadth of the country and taking in towns as far as field as Newcastle, Birmingham and Penzance. Debuting on 3 August 1968, the band also became regulars at London’s renowned nightclub, Scotch of St James, returning again for shows on 7 and 14 September and culminating with a two-night stand on 27-28 September. During this hectic period of touring, Scrugg participated in a historic moment in rock history, opening for a “mystery” band of superstars at a show at Sheffield University on 23 November.
“We opened for them and then watched their show,” says Kongos. “We all agreed that these guys would probably not make it because ‘who needed another Cream?’ so we gave them the thumbs down. They were called Led Zeppelin!”
With Zeppelin’s star in the ascent and Scrugg’s future looking bleak, the end was in sight.
John Kongos and Jack Russell on tour in ScotlandClockwise from top left: John Kongos, Henry Spinetti, Chris Demetriou and Jack Russell
In early January, Scrugg’s final single was released and coupled the Kongos’s rave up, ‘Will The Real Geraldine Please Stand Up and Be Counted’ (a song originally recorded for the album session in Jo’burg in 1967), with the singer’s ‘Only George’, a kitchen sink tale about break-up and divorce, introduced by Russell’s freakily distorted vocal.DJ John Peel remained a huge fan and opened his show numerous times during its first week of release but despite the publicity, it failed to chart. Dispirited, the musicians decided to call it a day, bowing out with a two-night stand in Margate, Kent on 18-19 January.
In the aftermath of Scrugg’s split, Kongos went on to establish a successful solo career in the early Seventies, scoring hits with ‘He’s Gonna Step On You Again’ (co-written with Demetriou) and ‘Tokoloshe Man’. He currently resides in Arizona and is preparing material for a new album.
The others meanwhile maintained a less visible, albeit rewarding careers. Spinetti became a top session drummer, working with the likes of Roger Chapman, Bill Wyman and Eric Clapton while Demetriou co-wrote several songs for Kongos’s debut album, Confusions of a Goldfish, and later oversaw recordings for Mike D’Abo and Cat Stevens among others. He currently lives in Esher, Surrey and is a pastor in a local church.
Russell, who gave up playing music in 1969, later ran a successful specialist advertising agency before retiring in 2005. Aside from a brief reunion with Pete Clifford and Brian Gibson where they played at a theatre in Hampton Hill, Middlesex to celebrate Russell’s 6oth birthday, he currently plays solo sets at the Rising Sun pub in Twickenham.
Aficionados can expect to pay hefty prices for Floribunda Rose and Scrugg singles. Mercifully, Castle compiled an excellent CD in 2001 called Lavender Popcorn, pulling together all of the recordings, including the previously unreleased Scrugg track, ‘Patriotic’, although regrettably the BBC radio sessions were omitted.
Despite that small oversight, the CD is recommended to anyone who feels the urge to savour some of the most exquisitely recorded British psychedelic pop.
A huge thanks goes to Jack Russell for his generous assistance in pulling the story together and for offering the use of his private photo collection and live gig list. Thanks also to John Kongos for his insights into the group, Chris Demetriou, Nick Dokter, Pete Clifford and David Wells.
Floribunda Rose: Linda Loves Linda / One Way Street, Picadilly 7N.35408
Scrugg: Everyone Can See / I Wish I Was Five, Pye 7N.17492 Lavender Popcorn / Sandwichboard Man, Pye 7N.17551 Will the Real Geraldine Please Stand Up and Be Counted / Only George, Pye 7N.17656
Floribunda Rose gigs (thanks to Jack Russell for diary dates):
14 July 1967 – Crystal Ballroom, Castleford , West Yorkshire
15 July 1967 – Boulevard, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
18 July 1967 – Burnley, Lancashire (no venue listed)
22 July 1967 – Brierfield, Lancashire (no venue listed)
4 August 1967 – Crow’s Nest, Tamworth, Staffordshire
19 August 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London
26 August 1967 – The Boogaloo, Crystal Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire (according to the Sheffield Star and Wakefield Express this was with The Magic Lanterns)
29 August 1967 – Luton, Bedfordshire (no venue listed)
2 September 1967 – The Rover, Solihull, Warwickshire
3 September 1967 – Cromer, Norfolk (most likely Olympia Ballroom)
8 September 1967 – Clouds, Derby, Derbyshire
9 September 1967 – Cesar’s Club, Bedford, Bedfordshire (according to the Bedfordshire Times)
15 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Simon Dupree & The Big Sound
22 September 1967 – Crystal Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
23 September 1967 – Wellington (near Hull, Humberside, no venue listed)
24 September 1967 – Cosmo, Carlisle, Cumbria with Root and Jenny Jackson and The Hightimers
25 September 1967 – Radio 1 recording
29 September 1967 – Wigston, Cumbria (no venue listed)
30 September 1967 – Boulevard, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire (according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, this was with The Flowerpot Men)
1 October 1967 – Clayton Lodge Hotel, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire with The Pink Variety
7 October 1967 – Cleveland Arms, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (according to Express & Star)
12 October 1967 – Penny Farthing, Hanley, Staffordshire
12 October 1967 – Crystal Ballroom, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire
13 October 1967 – St Helens, Lancashire (possibly The Co-Op)
14 October 1967 – Leicester University, Leicester, Leicestershire
20 October 1967 – Kendall Town Hall, Kendall, Cumbria
21 October 1967 – Royal Ballroom, Ripley, North Yorkshire
22 October 1967 – Cofton Country Club, Birmingham (listed in Fabulous 208 but not in Jack’s gig list)
28 October 1967 – Barrow, Cumbria (most likely Barrow Public Hall)
29 October 1967 – New Tredegar, Wales (no venue listed)
2 November 1967 – Nottingham (no venue listed)
5 November 1967 – Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (possibly The Revolution)
7-13 November 1967 – Birmingham, West Midlands area gigs (booked through the Astra Agency) (see below)
9 November 1967 – Kingfisher Country Club, Wall Health, West Midlands with The Californians and The Barmy Barry Show (according to Express & Star)
10 November 1967 – Waggon and Horses, Wall Health, West Midlands (according to Express & Star)
15 November 1967 – Hucknall, Nottinghamshire (no venue listed)
18 November 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
December 1967 – Month in Hamburg, West Germany (Top Ten Club on Reeperbahn)
5-14 January 1968 – Ten-day trip to Scotland (see below)
12 January 1968 – Ballerina Ballroom, Nairn, Scotland with The Rebel Sounds
13 January 1968 – Victoria Hotel, Forres, Scotland (Forres Elgin & Nairn Gazette) This is missing from Jack Russell’s gigs
Peter Clifford left Floribunda Rose in Scotland after the final gig and flew to Durban, South Africa to join The Bats
20 January 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Amboy Dukes
3 February 1968 – Barrow Public Hall, Barrow, Cumbria with 4th Coming
16-25 February 1968 – Nova Club, Kensington, London
Nick Dokter left immediately afterwards and the musicians brought in Henry Spinetti. At some point the group changed name to Scrugg but did also continue to be billed as Floribunda Rose for some shows.
1-15 March 1968 – Top Ten, Hamburg, Germany
31 March 1968 – Sunderland, Tyne & Wear (no venue listed)
1-6 April 1968 – Sunderland, Tyne & Wear (possibly gigs at various clubs in the area)
7-13 April 1968 – Wolverhampton, West Midlands area gigs (see below)
The following are confirmed from the Express & Star newspaper (and billed as Floribunda Rose):
7 April 1968 – Albrighton WMC, Albrighton, West Midlands
8 April 1968 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The News
11 April 1968 – Essington WMC, Essington, West Midlands
12 April 1968 – Oasis Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Dunes
13 April 1968 – 3 Men in a Boat, Walsall, West Midlands
20 April 1968 – Mr Smith’s Club, Winsford, Cheshire with T Bunkum Band and The Hideaways (billed as Floribunda Rose)
21 April 1968 – Coventry (no venue listed)
Around about now, they change name to Scrugg
3 May 1968 – ‘Tik Tok’ Discotheque, Grimsby (billed as Floribunda Rose) (according to Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
4 May 1968 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & His Band, The Break Thro’, Jubilee & The Sacremento “B”, Mildenberg Jazz Band (billed as Floribunda Rose)
10-19 May 1968 –Elgin area gigs in Scotland (see below)
25 May 1968 – Miners Wallace Institute, Kirkonnell, Scotland
31 May 1968 – Ringway, Birmingham, West Midlands
1 June 1968 – Sheffield, South Yorkshire (no venue listed)
2 June 1968 – Club Cedar, Birmingham, West Midlands
14 June 1968 – Milnthorpe, Cumbria (no venue listed)
15 June 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)
16 June 1968 – Jack’s diary says Birmingham 6 Ways but confirmed as Queen’s Head Beat Club, Six Ways, Erdington, West Midlands (billed as Floribunda Rose; see below too)
21 June 1968 – Eastbourne, East Sussex (no venue listed)
25 June 1968 – Oxford (no venue listed)
29 June 1968 – Queen’s Head Beat Club, Six Ways, Erdington, West Midlands (billed as Floribunda Rose)
3 July 1968 – Olympia, Scarborough, North Yorkshire with The Minority Soul Sound and The Urge
26 July 1968 – Sunderland, Tyne & Wear (not sure this happened as I have found Scrugg billed to play Steering Wheel, Weymouth on this day)
27 July 1968 – Newcastle (no venue listed)
1 August 1968 – Bolton, Lancashire (no venue listed)
2 August 1968 – Reading, Berkshire (no venue listed)
3 August 1968 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, London
5 August 1968 – Birmingham (possibly Queens Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands)
10 August 1968 – Sibyllas, Swallow Street, London
11 August 1968 – Abercarn, Wales (no venue listed)
16 August 1968 – Lon Crom (most likely Cromwellian, South Kensington, London)
17 August 1968 – 6 Ways (most likely Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands)
18 August 1968 – Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (no venue listed)
24 August 1968 – Crom Lon (most likely Cromwellian, South Kensington, London)
7 September 1968 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, London
8 September 1968 – Ilford, London (possibly The Angel)
14 September 1968 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, London
15 September 1968 – Playboy, Hyde Park Corner, London
16-18 September 1968 – Wales gigs TBA
21 September 1968 – King’s Hall, Aberystwyth, Wales with The Shakedown Sounds (this is missing from Jack’s gigs and comes from the Cambrian Times but may not be the same band)
26 September 1968 – Crom Bolton, Lancashire (most likely Cromwellian)
27-28 September 1968 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, London
29-30 September 1968 – Wales gigs
1-4 October 1968 – Wales gigs
5 October 1968 – Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (no venue listed)
10 October 1968 – Commall Hebton (not sure this is correct)
11 October 1968 – Penzance, Cornwall (possibly Winter Gardens)
12 October 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express) It is missing from Jack’s diary but they also play here on 19 October
21 October 1968 – Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with The Pearlettes, The Elastic Band and Wall City Jazz Men
2 November 1968 – Ilford, London (possibly The Angel)
4 November 1968 – Sibs London (most likely Sibyllas, Swallow Street)
15-17 November 1968 – Scotland dates
23 November 1968 – Sheffield University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Led Zeppelin
7 December 1968 – Ilford, London (possibly The Angel)
14 December 1968 – Rotherham (no venue listed)
28 December 1968 – Stage Club, Oxford
18-19 January 1969 – Margate, Kent (most likely the Dreamland Ballroom)
The gig list cuts off here so not sure if there are any others
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
Likewise, many other not so famous musicians who played the Ealing Club went on to produce fascinating music in the burgeoning psychedelic scene. Locals Chris Jackson and Tom Newman fronted R&B band The Tomcats (who also worked as The Thoughts) and later formed one of Britain’s more interesting psych ventures, July, after a stint in Spain.
16 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, London
