Dennis Lascelles (keyboards) replaced by Mick Fletcher
Terry Hewitt (bass)
Pete ? (drums)
This short-lived band was called The Rifle and was the brainchild of former Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede guitarist Del Grace, who put together an earlier line up in late 1967 to play a lucrative ski resort gig in Verbier, Switzerland over the Christmas period.
The Rifle, Verbier
Malcolm Magaron had started out fronting Malcolm Magaron & The Blueshealers who were regulars at the Bag O’Nails in late 1966, which is probably where he first met Del Grace as Carl Douglas’ band worked there extensively during the same period.
The original keyboard player Dennis Lascelles went on to play with Fat Daughter but at the time was a member of Herbie & The Royalists who ended up recording a lone LP for Saga Records in 1968.
The Rifle, 1968 with Mick Fletcher (left)
Mick Fletcher, who’d worked with Del Grace in The Epitaph Soul Band during 1963-1965 period, replaced Dennis Lascelles in early 1968 after working with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement.
When the band split up, Del Grace did some recordings for Liberty Records. Mick Fletcher joined The Amboy Dukes and Malcolm Magaron sang with The Les Humphries Singers.
We’d love to hear from anyone who can add any additional information in the comments section below.
Jo Jo Gunne, late 1965/early 1966. Left to right: Don Bax, Renwick MacDonald, Alan Townsend, Doug Gordon, Ronny Butterworth and Pete Pennycate. Photo: Ronny Butterworth
Readers will be familiar with the American early 1970s rock band Jo Jo Gunne, helmed by former Spirit members Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes.
However, the first band to use the name Jo Jo Gunne was in fact a little known British R&B outfit, formed at Debrome school in Feltham, Middlesex in early-to-mid 1965.
The original line up comprised:
Ronny Butterworth – lead vocals
Simon Spackman – lead guitar
Don Bax – rhythm guitar
Alan Townsend – bass
Doug Gordon – drums
However, later that year the musicians made the decision to move in a more soul direction and took on a new lead singer, Pete Pennycate, to accommodate the new configuration.
Spackman moved from lead guitar to keyboards to allow newcomer Renwick MacDonald to join from local rivals Themselves. Butterworth and Townsend focused on trumpets and Bax took up the bass.
By early 1966, Jo Jo Gunne comprised:
Pete Pennycate – lead vocals
Renwick MacDonald – lead guitar
Simon Spackman – organ
Don Bax – bass
Alan Townsend – trumpet and trombone
Ronny Butterworth – trumpet
Doug Gordon – drums
During June 1966, the band won Melody Maker’s National Beat Competition, which was held at Brighton’s Regent Ballroom. Also, during August, they took part in the London Palladium competition.
Over the next 18 months, this line up (minus Butterworth who dropped out around November 1966 to play with Twickenham band, The All Night Workers) played the following gigs:
Photo: Middlesex Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
5 October 1965 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, west London with The Road Agents
25 February 1966 – Cavern Club, Burnley, Lancashire with The Fruitdrops May not be the same band
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
19 March 1966 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with supporting group
25 March 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
2 April 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
12 April 1966 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Pretty Things
17 April 1966 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire with The Generation
14 May 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
28 May 1966 – Zeeta House, Pontiac, Putney, southwest London
11 June 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
18 June 1966 – Zeeta House, Pontiac, Putney, southwest London with The Roger Harris Show
Photo: Bletchley District Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
22 July 1966 – Bletchley Young Conservatives, Coronation Hall, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire
Photo: Middlesex Chronicle, 15 July 1966. Image may be subject to copyright
6 August 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
12 August 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
Photo: Bletchley District Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
13 August 1966 – Bletchley Carnival Week, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire with The Future Set
17 September 1966 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Future Set
10 October 1966 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Future Set and The Choozey Beggars (this needs confirmation as this may be December instead)
11 November 1966 – Chesham Co-op Hall, Chesham, Bucks
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
6 January 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Alvin Cash & The Crawlers (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
13 January 1967 – The Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Derek Savage Foundation (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Brackley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
27 January 1967 – Brackley Town Hall, Brackley, Northamptonshire
Photo: Northampton Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
28 January 1967 – White Bicycle, Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The Crew (billed as Jo-Jo-Gunn)
Photo: Newham, East and West Ham, Barking and Stratford Express. Image may be subject to copyright
17 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The New Pirates and The Afex (billed as Jo-Jo Gunns)
18 February 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The All Night Workers
22 February 1967 – St Michael’s Youth Centre, Sydenham, southeast London (billed Jo Jo Gun)
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
24 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with David Essex and Mood Indigo (billed as The Jo-Jo Gunns)
25 February 1967 – Rub-a-Dub, Reading, Berkshire
5 March 1967 – New Yorker Discotheque, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Iveys and The Inspiration
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
10 March 1967 – The New All Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, E1, east London
According to an article in the Hounslow, Brentford and Chiswick Post, dated 5 May, Jo Jo Gunne split up in late April with Simon Spackman joining McDonald’s former band Themselves in early May while Pete Pennycate went solo.
The newspaper’s 16 June issue adds more information. It notes that bass player Don Bax was working with The Penny Blacks, the same band that would feature soon-to-be-joining members Alan Barratt, Paul Maher and Tom Marshall.
In late August 1967, Jo Jo Gunne reformed with Alan Barratt replacing Pete Pennycate on lead vocals.
The Penny Blacks, 1967. Alan Barratt (second left), Paul Maher (second right) and Tom Marshall (far right).
Barratt had started out singing with The Penny Blacks, which also included lead guitarist Tom Marshall; rhythm guitarist John Day; bass player Dave Arnold; and drummer Paul Maher.
When Barratt joined Jo Jo Gunne that summer he also brought Paul Maher with him (who took over from Doug Gordon) and recent recruit Don Bax.
Simon Spackman and Renwick MacDonald joined the new version (presumably both from Themselves, who soon changed name to Virgin Sleep). Original member Alan Townsend also rejoined.
According to Alan Barratt, the new version debuted on 8 September 1967 at the California Ballroom in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
In late 1967, Jo Jo Gunne signed a deal with Don Arden’s Starlight Agency after Amen Corner’s singer Andy Fairweather-Low recommended the band to the infamous promoter.
Amen Corner and Jo Jo Gunne had shared a billing at the California Ballroom in Dunstable on 29 September 1967 alongside rival west London band, The All Night Workers.
The All Night Workers would maintain a close link with Jo Jo Gunne and several musicians would play with both bands.
The first of these was original member, trumpet player Ronny Butterworth, who re-joined Jo Jo Gunne from The All Night Workers around late September/early October 1967.
The revamped line up now comprised:
Alan Barratt – lead vocals
Renwick MacDonald – lead guitar
Simon Spackman – organ
Don Bax – bass
Alan Townsend – trumpet and trombone
Ronny Butterworth – trumpet
Paul Maher – drums
However, around late October lead guitar player Renwick MacDonald left and another former Penny Blacks member, lead guitarist Tom Marshall joined the line up for the rest of 1967 and into spring 1968.
Jo Jo Gunne, Hampton Court Palace, circa October 1967. Left to right: Tom Marshall, Alan Barratt, Alan Townsend, Ronny Butterworth, Paul Maher, Simon Spackman and Don Bax. Photo: Tom Marshall
When Marshall left around February/March 1968 to join The Playground (and subsequently Harmony Grass and Capability Brown), Spackman moved from organ to lead guitar and keyboard player Ken Carroll joined Jo Jo Gunne.
Carroll had spent the past few months playing with a band called Deep Purple, which had been formed in late 1967, some six months before the more famous version (although there were a few other local groups across England that used the name before 1968).
The following concert dates are taken from this period:
8 September 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with James and Bobby Purify and The Yum Yum Band
Photo: Berkhamsted Gazette and Tring and District News. Image may be subject to copyright
23 September 1967 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Chris Allen Band
29 September 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Amen Corner and The All Night Workers
Photo: Crawley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
1 October 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Move (spelt Jo Jo Gun)
14 October 1967 – Luton Boys Club, Luton, Bedfordshire with The Vistas (spelt Jo Jo Gunn)
15 October 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Jimi Hendrix Experience (they may have been replaced by The Doves at short notice)
20 October 1967 – Pavilion, Southend, Essex with The Mindbenders and Tiles Big Band (Southend Standardlists this gig as 21 October 1967)
21 October 1967 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London with Tony Rivers and The Castaways (possibly one of MacDonald’s final gigs)
27 October 1967 – London School of Economics, central London with Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera (possibly one of Marshall’s first gigs)
Photo: Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
5 November 1967 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Barry Lee Show (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
11 November 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Symbols and The Fifth Dynasty (spelt Jo Jo Gunn)
12 November 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Modes Mode
17 November 1967 – Southlands College, Roehampton, southwest London with The Nashville Teens
Photo: Eastbourne Herald Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
18 November 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex
24 November 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Shevelles and The Crew
Photo: Stratford upon Avon Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
25 November 1967 – Bagatelle Club, Ettington Park Hotel, Alderminster, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
8 December 1967 – Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and Reformation (billed as Jo-Jo Gun Band)
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
16 December 1967 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
19 December 1967 – Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Reformation and Ray Bones (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Crawley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
24 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Exits
31 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Precisely This
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
9 January 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
21 January 1968 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London with Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
26 January 1968 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands
28 January 1968 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
Photo: Crawley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
10 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Doves
11 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Who
13 February 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
24 February 1968 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, Essex with The Human Instinct and Almond Marizpan (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
25 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Human Instinct
28 February 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Herd
Photo: Possibly Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
2 March 1968 – Nags Head, Motown Club, Wollaston, Northamptonshire with Mick’s Soulotek (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
9 March 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
9 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Modes Mode
10 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Fabulous Temptations (this is The Fantastics)
23 March 1968 – Feltham R&B Club, Feltham, Middlesex
Photo: Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
25 March 1968 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Crusaders (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Derby Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
30 March 1968 – Clouds, Derby (billed as Jo-Jo Gunn Group)
30 March 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
31 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Original Drifters (Paul Maher filled in for The Original Drifters’ ill drummer)
11 April 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
Photo: Derby Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
13 April 1968 – Clouds, Derby (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
15 April 1968 – Ship Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey
Photo: Berkhamsted Gazette and Tring and District News. Image may be subject to copyright
8 May 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire with Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band
Photo: Greenford Post. Image may be subject to copyright
25 May 1968 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London
1 June 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
3 June 1968 – Hatchetts Playround, Piccadilly, central London
Having signed to Decca Records, Jo Jo Gunne recorded their debut single, R & H Barter’s “Every Story Has An End” c/w Don Bax and Alan Townsend’s “Should Live Like That” (Decca F 12807), which was released on 12 July 1968 but failed to chart.
Just after the recording, Carroll introduced a second singer in to the band, Mick Wheeler, who’d previously worked with Ronny Butterworth in The All Night Workers during 1966-1967 and then in Carroll’s short-lived Deep Purple in late 1967-early 1968. When Wheeler joined, he also doubled up on congas.
Jo Jo Gunne, spring 1968, just before Mick Wheeler joined. Left to right: Simon Spackman, Alan Barratt, Ronny Butterworth, Ken Carroll, Alan Townsend, Paul Maher and Don Bax
The revised line up comprised:
Alan Barratt – lead vocals
Mick Wheeler – lead vocals, congas
Simon Spackman – lead guitar
Ken Carroll – organ
Don Bax – bass
Alan Townsend – trumpet and trombone
Ronny Butterworth – trumpet
Paul Maher – drums
Around mid-July, Jo Jo Gunne were offered the opportunity to play some gigs in Saint-Tropez in France but Ronny Butterworth didn’t participate and dropped out just before the continental trip.
The line-up on the band’s debut single before Mick Wheeler joined. Photo: Record Mirror. Image may be subject to copyright
From 2 August to 5 September 1968, the band (minus Butterworth who has since died) played a nightly residency at the Club St Hilaire de la Mer in Saint-Tropez before returning to the UK.
On their return Ken Carroll left the band and went on to play with Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon. He currently works with Samtana.
The following gigs were advertised with the above line up:
12 June 1968 – Samantha’s, Bournemouth, Dorset (possibly one of Wheeler’s first gigs)
15 June 1968 – Clouds, Derby (billed as Jo-Jo Gunn Group)
22 June 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with Hoffman’s Biscuits (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
28 June 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
29 June 1968 – Broken Wheel, Retford, Nottinghamshire
Image may be subject to copyright
6 July 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Rocky
Photo: Possibly East Kent Times & Mail. Image may be subject to copyright
12 July 1968 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Possibly Newbury Weekly News. Image may be subject to copyright
19 July 1968 – Soul Club, Plaza, Newbury, Berkshire with J J Bender & SOS
Photo: Eastbourne Herald Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
20 July 1968 – Eastbourne Town Hall, Eastbourne, East Sussex with The Soul Stars
27 July 1968 – Red Cross Hall, East Grinstead, West Sussex
28 July 1968 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Scorpions (billed as Jo Jo Gunn) (one of Butterworth’s final gigs)
3 August 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
Photo: Chester Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
10 August 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire with Headline News (billed as Jo Jo Gunn) (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
11 August 1968 – Victorian Club, Liverpool (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
31 August 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
7 September 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (one of Carroll’s final gigs)
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
12 September 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
13 September 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
18 September 1968 – Samantha’s, New Burlington Street, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
20 September 1968 – Victoria Hall, Falkirk, Scotland (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
22 September 1968 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland (this needs confirmation) (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
2 October 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
6 October 1968 – Drokiweeney, Manchester (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
12 October 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
26 October 1968 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts
Around mid-November 1968, Simon Spackman also left (and has since died) and west London guitar hero Dave Wendels (ex-Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Lulu’s backing band, The Luvvers, Tom Jones’s backing band, The Squires and The Krew) joined the band.
This new line up transformed the group and played dozens of successful gigs around the UK, including Mr Smiths in Manchester, Bournemouth Winter Gardens, Pantiles in Bagshot, Surrey plus London venues like Hatchetts Playground in Piccadilly, the Valbonne Club, Samantha’s, the Scotch of St James and Sibylla’s.
They also supported Three Dog Night on a Scottish tour. In Scotland they supported Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, as well as playing The Electric Garden (Radio 1 club) in Glasgow.
The new line up played the following:
3 November 1968 – Cosmo, Carlisle, Cumbria with Pete Kelly Solution (Paul Maher says it was cancelled)
5 November 1968 – Sibylla’s, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
7 November 1968 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with PP Arnold (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
7 November 1968 – Willesden College of Technology, Willesden, northwest London with PP Arnold (possibly one of Spackman’s final gigs)
9 November 1968 – Clouds, Derby
11 November 1968 – Bamboo Club, Wilmslow, Cheshire (billed as Jo-Jo Gunn)
16 November 1968 – Fellowship Inn, Eltham, southeast London (possibly one of Wendels’ first gigs)
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
22 November 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
Photo: Eastern Evening News. Image may be subject to copyright
23 November 1968 – Cromer Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with Kiss (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Re: North Norfolk News. Image may be subject to copyright
24 November 1968 – Crystal Palace Hotel, Crystal Palace, south London
25 November 1968 – Sibylla’s, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
8 December 1968 – Mr Smith’s, Manchester (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
14 December 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
16 December 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
Photo: Possibly Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
23 December 1968 – Corby Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire with Size Seven and State Express (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
24 December 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton on Thames, Surrey (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
29 December 1968 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
However, around January 1969 longstanding member Alan Townsend departed (and has since died) and Dennis Fisher came in on trumpet from the group, Mothers Ruin.
Townsend spent several months working with The All Night Workers before subsequently working with The Roy Young Band later in the year and doing a multitude of sessions.
Clockwise from top left: Dennis Fisher, Dave Wendels, Paul Maher, Mick Wheeler, Alan Barratt, Don Bax.
By now, the line up comprised:
Alan Barratt – lead vocals
Mick Wheeler – lead vocals, congas
Dave Wendels – lead guitar
Don Bax – bass
Dennis Fisher – trumpet
Paul Maher – drums
This configuration recorded the band’s second single – Potter and Dee’s “Beggin’ You Baby” c/w “Bad Penny” (Decca F 12906), which was released on 25 April 1969.
The band played the following dates:
4 January 1969 – Clouds, Derby
7 January 1969 – Whisky a Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
11 January 1969 – Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn, Wales with Strawberry Cartoon (billed as Jo Jo Gunn Soul Band)
15-16 January 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
25 January 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
27-28 January 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly central London
1 February 1969 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Vigilantes
17 February 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly central London
18 March 1969 – Alex’s Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire
27 March 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly central London
5 April 1969 – Le Metro, Birmingham (billed as Jo Jo Gunn Soul Show)
5 April 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
When “Beggin’ You Baby” flopped, Jo Jo Gunne split with Don Arden. According to Barratt, the singles were too poppy and did not represent the band’s live set, which was funkier/soul orientated material.
After the band proposed an album of its own material and Decca turned the opportunity down, Jo Jo Gunne split from the label.
Around Easter, Jo Jo Gunne signed with Laurie O’Leary who landed them a three-month residency in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, where they played nightly in the House of Lords club, returning in July. Wheeler has kept the outgoing flight from England, which was on the 10 April.
The following dates were advertised but were not possible as they weren’t in the UK:
9 May 1969 – Rush Common House, Abingdon, Oxfordshire with Status Quo and Fire (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
24 May 1969 – Il Rondo, Leicester
25 May 1969 – Railway, Wealdstone, northwest London
26 May 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, London
5 June 1969 – Blaises, Kensington, west London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
11 June 1969 – Revolution, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
21 June 1969 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with Finnians Fogg
3 July 1969 – Revolution, central London
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
6 July 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
10 July 1969 – Blaises, Kensington, west London
Left to right: Dave Wendels, Alan Barratt, Dave Booker and Mick Wheeler, summer 1969
On their return in early-to-mid July, Dennis Fisher and Don Bax departed and the remaining quartet of Alan Barratt, Mick Wheeler, Paul Maher and Dave Wendels formed a short-lived version with Manchester bass player Dave Bowker (now David Booker) who’d previously worked with Ivan Meads, The Richard Kent Style, Kirk St James and Sponge among others. Booker had met the musicians in the Bahamas while playing with Sponge.
Left to right: Mick Wheeler, Alan Barratt, Dave Wendels and Dave Booker
The group travelled to Cologne in July/August and played the Storyville Club but on their return, Wendels and Booker both left and played with Billy J Kramer, a week-long engagement at Batley Variety Club.
Left to right: Dave Booker, Dave Wendels and Mick Wheeler, Cologne, summer ’69. Photo: Mick Wheeler
Wendels then joined The Roy Young Band while Booker joined O’Hara’s Playboys after auditioning unsuccessfully for Badfinger (Joey Molland got the job).
The short-lived line-up played the following dates:
23 August 1969 – Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex with Sunshine Sky
Photo: Surrey Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
6 September 1969 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with Marshall Hammond
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
12 September 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
19 September 1969 – Winter Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall
Longstanding lead singer Alan Barratt was offered a backing vocal spot with The Roy Young Band but declined. He also departed around this time and later went on to sing with The Good Old Boys with Nick Simper from the original Deep Purple.
Mick Wheeler and Paul Maher then put together an entirely new version of Jo Jo Gunne.
Mick Wheeler – lead vocals
George Williams – lead guitar
Barney Barnes – organ
Billy Ball – bass
Paul Maher – drums
In early 1970, Wheeler’s former band mate from The All Night Workers, Malcolm Randall briefly took over the drum stool before Phil Chesterton came in full-time.
This new line up continued into the early 1970s and returned to Saint-Tropez for a residency. The group subsequently morphed into a later version of The Love Affair, long after its lead singer Steve Ellis had left.
Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey, 1971. Photo: Martin H Samuel
Huge thanks to Alan Barratt, Paul Maher, Mick Wheeler, Ken Carroll, Tom Marshall, Ronny Butterworth, David Booker and Dave Wendels for their help in piecing the story together.
I’d like to thank Alan Barratt, Tom Marshall, Mick Wheeler and Paul Maher for providing photos.
Thanks also to Jason Barnard at Strange Brew who originally posted this article. This is a substantially revised and updated version.
Concert dates were taken from a number of sources, mainly local and regional newspapers. Thanks to Alan Barratt for providing some live dates from late 1967-early 1968 from his personal diary. Most of the London dates were taken from Melody Maker.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica on 5 July 1939, Owen Gray (aka Grey) is one of the true reggae and ska greats but was also the author of a handful of superb soul/mod 45s, recorded in the UK and France between 1965-1969.
Very little is known about this period and so we’d welcome any additional information that readers can provide in the comments section below, particularly around the recording of these individual singles, any unreleased recordings and the personnel on the tracks.
Owen arrived in England in May 1962 and was a prolific recording artist. Like Jimmy Cliff, he’s best known for his reggae recordings but he was an exceptionally gifted soul performer and worked with some top British musicians during the mid-to-late 1960s. His backing bands included The Sound System, The Krew, Tony Knight’s Chessmen and Maximum Breed.
His first venture into soul appears to have been with two singles on the small Aladdin label (see below).
Image may be subject to copyright
Released on 12 March 1965, Owen Gray’s “Gonna Work Out Fine” c/w “Dolly Baby”, was the first of two 45s on the label, the first produced by Denny Cordell.
Advert from New Musical Express
His second release “Lindy Lu” was backed by a great version of “Can I Get a Witness”, which has since become a Northern Soul favourite.
Image may be subject to copyright
In mid-to-late 1965, he moved labels and to Island Records for three singles. The first coupled “Shook, Shimmy & Shake” with “I’m Going Back” and was followed by “Paradise” c/w “Bye Bye Love”. Little is known about the background to both of these releases and the personnel on the recordings.
Image may be subject to copyright
Initially, the singer worked with The Soul Sets, including a gig at the Cue Club in early January 1966.
Photo: Melody Maker
However, in January/February 1966, Chris Blackwell linked Owen with west London Mod outfit, The Sound System.
Photo: Melody Maker
The band had morphed out of The All-Nite Workers and featured guitarist Tony St Clair; bass player Ron Thomas; keyboard player Mick Fletcher; sax players Mel Wayne and Dave Mahoney; and drummer Phil Wainman, who later went on to produce The Sweet among others.
Together, they backed Owen on a lone 45, a rousing version of “You Don’t Know Like I Know” backed by “Take Me Serious”, which appears to have been penned by Ron Thomas, who later went on to work with The Heavy Metal Kids, among others.
Image may be subject to copyright
Owen Gray & The Sound System also gigged around the London club circuit in the first few months of 1966 before Blackwell linked them up with Jimmy Cliff and renamed them The New Generation. Later that year, the group became singer Gary Hamilton’s second version of The Hamilton Movement.
Photo: Melody Maker
Left without a band, Owen joined forces with The Krew who’d just lost their two lead singers Beryl Marsden and Steve Aldo.
Led by scouser and future Wings sideman Howie Casey on sax, the group also featured fellow Liverpudlian Tommy Murray on lead guitar (who was later replaced by Ted Tunnicliffe); Glaswegian Archie Legget; Yorkshireman Eddie Sparrow on drums; and Londoner Alan Reeves on keyboards.
Photo: Alan Reeves. Left to right (back), Eddie Sparrow, Archie Legget, Howie Casey, Alan Reeves. Front, left to right: Owen Gray and Tommy Murray
Owen Gray and The Krew moved to France in April 1966 and played several clubs in the ski resorts, notably the Bus Palladium in Courcheval, before landing a residency at exclusive Paris nightclub Le Bilboquet.
While playing in Paris in July that year, the musicians recorded an EP for Barclay Records’ subsidiary label, Riviera, comprising popular soul covers and strong Owen Gray originals, “Everything’s Alright” and “Somebody Stole My Girl”.
However, by the end of 1966, Owen Gray was back in London and back on the soul circuit, playing the clubs that were popular with the burgeoning Caribbean community such as Paddington’s Cue Club.
Back on Island Records, he recorded one of his finest soul outings, the stupendous “Help Me” coupled with “Incense”, which were produced by Chris Blackwell and Jimmy Miller respectively.
Issued in January 1967, the single should have been a massive hit but inexplicably it failed to chart and is now a much sought-after collectors’ item.
Image may be subject to copyright
A few months later, Owen was back with another London band, this time Tony Knight’s Chessmen, led by drummer Tony Brown. The singer remained with the group until about September 1967.
During Owen’s time with The Chessmen, the musicians passing through included noted sax players Dave Coxhill and Stan Sulzmann and future John Mayall’s Bluesbreaker Keith Tillman.
Photo: Fred D’Albert. Left to right: Terry Ede, Dave Coxhill (hidden), Owen Gray, Tony Brown (hidden), Keith Tillman and Fred D’Albert in Italy.
In July 1967, the band travelled out to Italy to play the Piper Club in Viareggio.
Photo: Melody Maker, 1967
Little is known about his soul projects from this point on, although he did work with singers Ruby and Youth backed by The Shell Shock Show during late 1967 and early 1968.
However, during 1968, he started to do studio work on the Old Kent Road with producer David Hadfield.
Image may be subject to copyright
For the recordings, he was backed by Freddy Mack’s former band, The Mack Sound, who were going by the name Maximum Breed.
Future Butts Band and Gonzalez keyboard player Roy Davies was among the musicians in this talented band.
Several singles were issued during this period, including “Sitting in the Park” and “Dream Lover” but by now, Owen was starting to focus his efforts on the reggae audience.
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
West London band Wainwright’s Gentlemen are most notable for containing several musicians who went on to fame and fortune in the late 1960s and early 1970s – Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker (The Sweet).
Formed as Unit 4 in early 1963, the band’s original formation comprised lead guitarist Jim Searle, rhythm guitarist Alfred Fripp (who had previously played with Hayes, Middlesex high school band, Paul & The Alpines) and bass player/singer Jan Frewer. Soon after, the trio were joined by lead singer Chris Wright and drummer Phil Kenton.
Paul & The Alpines, 1963 with Alf Fripp far right. Photo: John Kerrison
Taking on Jan’s father, John, as the group’s manager, the musicians began gigging at youth clubs and social clubs in the Hayes, Harrow and Wembley areas.
During late 1963, however, the band changed name to Wainwright’s Gentlemen after the musicians discovered that there was another Unit 4 on the west London scene (future Brinsley Schwartz Ian Gomm’s group).
In early 1964, Wainwright’s Gentlemen became resident band at Hayes Beat Club in Hayes, Middlesex and also landed a residency at two coffee bars in London’s West End – Le Chat Qui Peche in Regent Street and the Cave St Germain in Poland Street.
Having entered the Mecca Dancing and Walls Ice Cream nationwide Beat Group contest, Wainwright’s Gentlemen appeared at Hammersmith Palais on 9 January 1964 in their area competition, beating several groups, including The Detours, who later became The Who.
Wainwright’s Gentlemen returned to the Hammersmith Palais on 6 February for the ‘Hall Final’, which the band won.
Photo: Daily Sketch cutting, 2 April 1964
Unfortunately, when the national finals were held at the Lyceum on the Strand on 4 May, the group finished fifth out of 13 bands.
Later that year, Wainwright’s Gentlemen secured a recording test at Jackson Sound Studios in Rickmansworth but the session was not successful.
In mid-October, the band added Annette Culley as a second singer. She may have been the same Annette who sang with The Keymen.
Wright, who worked at Dawe Instruments in Acton, Middlesex, invited tenor sax player Dave Brogden from The Midnites to join the group in early November 1964 but the very night he auditioned and joined Wainwright’s Gentlemen, Wright had a falling out with Jan Frewer’s father and departed.
Selected gigs:
9 January 1964 – Mecca Dancing and Walls Ice Cream’s nationwide Beat Group Contest, Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, west London
10 January 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
11 January 1964 – Le Chat qui Peche, Regent Street, central London
6 February 1964 – Hall Final of Mecca Dancing nationwide Beat Group Contest, Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, west London
21 February 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
28 February 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
1 March 1964 – Beat contest at Watford Town Hall, Watford, Herts with others The group came third
7 March 1964 – The Scene, Florida Room, Brighton, West Sussex
9 March 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
30 March 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
30 April 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
2 May 1964 – Long’s Ballroom, Bishop Stortford, Herts with The Marauders
4 May 1964 – Mecca Dancing nationwide Beat Group Contest finals, Lyceum Ballroom, Strand, central London with others
23 May 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
6 June 1964 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with Johnny Lonesome & The Travellers adn Keith Young & The Skyways
9 June 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
12 June 1964 – Long’s Ballroom, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire with Manfred Mann
27 June 1964 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
6 July 1964 – Attic Club, 1a High Street, Hounslow, Middlesex with Rory Blackwell & His Monsters
25 July 1964 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with The Four Zodiacs and The Nu-Trons
31 July 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Shades
8 August 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
13 September 1964 – Attic, Hounslow, Middlesex
25 September 1964 – Attic Club, 1a High Street, Hounslow, Middlesex with Ken Gordon & The Downsiders
29 September 1964 – Kodak Hall, Wealdstone, Middlesex with The Dolphins and The Beachcombers
4 October 1964 – Kihoty Club, Guildford, Surrey with The Aces and The Shieks
24 October 1964 – Witham Public Hall, Witham, Essex (Billed as Annette with Wainwright’s Gentlemen)
Ian Gillan – lead vocals
Annette Cully – lead vocals
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Alfred Fripp – rhythm guitar
Dave Brogden – tenor saxophone
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Phil Kenton – drums
Within days of Dave Brogden joining on tenor saxophone, Wainwright’s Gentlemen brought in Chris Wright’s replacement – Ian Gillan, lead singer with Hayes, Middlesex group, The Javelins.
The new formation remained steady until early March 1965. Brogden’s diary shows that the musicians traveled to Jackson Sound Studios in Rickmansworth on a number of dates in February (3rd, 10th, 15-16th, 19th and 28th) presumably to cut material. However, his original date sheet puts the recording dates for the three tracks that the band cut as 3rd, 8th and 15th March.
Wainwright’s Gentlemen recorded three tracks – “Ain’t That (Just Like Me)”, which has since surfaced on Acid Jazz’s Rare Mod 3 CD compilation; “Que Sera Sera”; and “Slow Down”.
Thanks to Dave Brogden for sharing
At the start of March, Dave Brogden gave three months’ notice that he was leaving Wainwright’s Gentlemen to join west London group Jean & The Statesides. His first contribution to his new band was at EMI Abbey Road studio on 17 June. He would remain with The Statesides until 26 September when Phil Kenton got in touch to join him in an Irish show band at an Irish dance hall in Balham, south London (see later entry).
Around the same time, Ian Gillan started to get itchy feet and covertly started his own band Ian & The Dragsters who gigged intermittently while he remained with Wainwright’s Gentlemen until late April. Dave Brogden played with Gillan’s band on nights when Wainwright’s Gentlemen weren’t gigging.
Selected gigs:
7 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
8 November 1964 – La Dolphin Club, Baker Street, central London
12 November 1964 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
14 November 1964 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with Tony Lindell & The Cruisers
15 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
16 November 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex
21 November 1964 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with The Mad Hatters and Brian Ford & The Sapphires
22 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
25 November 1964 – USAF Ruislip, Ruislip, Middlesex
26 November 1964 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
29 November 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
30 November 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex
1 December 1964 – Hammersmith Town Hall, Hammersmith, west London with The Grenades, The Impacts and The Fairlanes
3 December 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Streatham, southwest London
6 December 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
7 December 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex
10 December 1964 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
12 December 1964 – Hammersmith Town Hall, Hammersmith, west London
13 December 1964 – Start & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
17 December 1964 – Locarno Ballroom, Streatham, southwest London
18 December 1964 – Willesden Grammar School Youth Club, Willesden, northwest London
19 December 1964 – Hotel in Holborn, central London
20 December 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
22 December 1964 – Overseas Visitors Club, Fulham, west London
23 December 1964 – Ventures Youth Club, Greenford, Middlesex
24 December 1964 – Plaza Ballroom, Guildford, Surrey with The Downsiders
26-27 December 1964 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
28 December 1964 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex
31 December 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex
1 January 1965 – Ventures Youth Club, Greenford, Middlesex
2 January 1965 – Watford Town Hall, Watford, Herts
3 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
7 January 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
8 January 1965 – Ashford Golf Club, Ashford, Middlesex
9 January 1965 – Unknown venue in West Wickham, Kent
10 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
11 January 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex
14 January 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
15 January 1965 – London School of Economics, central London
16 January 1965 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with Twinkle and The Gonks
17 January 1965 – Locarno Ballroom, Leicester
20 January 1965 – Ballroom in Dartford, Dartford, Kent
21 January 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
23-24 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
27 January 1965 – Hall in Carpenter’s Park (this could be Carpenders Park, Watford)
28 January 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
29 January 1965 – Hoover Social Club, Alperton, Middlesex
30 January 1965 – Hi-Fi Hop, Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
31 January 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
1 February 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex
5 February 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex with Unit 5
6 February 1965 – Annunciation Club, Wembley, Middlesex
7 February 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
11 February 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
13 February 1965 – Tottenham Town Hall, Tottenham, north London
14 February 1965 – Kodak Social Club, Hemel Hempstead, Herts
17 February 1965 – London School of Economics, the Strand, central London
18 February 1965 – BOAC Social Club, Northolt, Middlesex
20 February 1965 – Railway Hotel, Greenford, Middlesex
21 February 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
22 February 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex
23 February 1965 – Kodak Social Club, Harrow, Middlesex
25 February 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, Middlesex
25 February 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex (advertised in newspaper)
26 February 1965 – Kookey Nook, Windsor, Berkshire
27 February 1965 – Whetstone Hotel, Finchley, north London
28 February 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
Ian Gillan – lead vocals
Annette Cully – lead vocals
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Alfred Fripp – rhythm guitar
Dennis ??? – tenor saxophone (or Dave Brogden intermittently)
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Phil Kenton – drums
During early March 1965, Wainwright Gentlemen’s employed a tenor sax player called Dennis to cover for Dave Brogden, who was unable to commit to the band fully (he was working covertly and intermittently with Gillan’s band The Dragsters). Dennis, however, only lasted around a month until late March.
Even though he was leaving in mid-June to join Jean & The Statesides, Dave Brogden agreed with Jan Frewer to continue to perform with Wainwright’s Gentlemen from 1 April to 24 September whenever he was able to honour gigs (see gigs with *).
After a gig on 26 April, lead singer Ian Gillan left Wainwright’s Gentlemen to concentrate on his own group, Ian Gillan & The Dragsters. However, soon after performing a gig on 20 May with his band, Gillan joined Episode Six and later found fame with Deep Purple.
Alf Fripp (centre) with Jaymes Fenda & The Vulcans, December 1965. Photo: Alf Fripp
Alfred Fripp departed on the same date as Ian Gillan and joined south London band Jaymes Fenda & The Vulcans. Fripp would briefly return to Wainwright’s Gentlemen in January 1967 when Frewer was injured in a car accident and covered bass duties until Frewer recovered.
Selected gigs:
2 March 1965 – Kodak Hall, Wealdstone, Middlesex with The Gaylords and The Beachcombers
4 March 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
18 March 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, Middlesex
1 April 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London *
2 April 1965 – Leonian Hall, Harrow, northwest London *
3 April 1965 – Blythe Hotel, Sevenoaks, Kent *
4 April 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
5 April 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, west London
8 April 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London
9 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
10 April 1965 – Scala, Dartford, Dartford, Kent *
11 April 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
12 April 1965 – Co-op Hall, Wealdstone, northwest London *
15 April 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
16 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
17 April 1965 – Cinema in Watford, Watford, Herts *
18 April 1965 – Kodak Social Club, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
19 April 1965 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Tony Rivers & The Castaways
22 April 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London
23 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
25 April 1965 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, west London
26 April 1965 – Seagull Hotel, Southall, Middlesex (Gillan and Fripp’s last gig)
Annette Cully – lead vocals
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Phil Kenton – drums
+
Dave Brogden – tenor sax (intermittently)
The stripped back line-up played just over a week’s worth of gigs with Brogden helping out when he could make the commitment. However, around 10 May, Jan Frewer’s father brought in two new musicians – keyboard player Tyni Manning and new tenor sax player Robert Schole.
Selected gigs:
29 April 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
30 April 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
2 May 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
3 May 1965 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London * (this was mentioned in a newspaper cutting, dated 19 May)
6 May 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London
7 May 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *
8 May 1965 – Venue in Reading, Berkshire (possibly Olympia Ballroom) *
9 May 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
Annette Culley – lead vocals
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Tyni Manning – keyboards
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Robert Schole – tenor saxophone
Phil Kenton – drums
The new line-up was short-lived and could have only lasted a month or so (possibly until 4 June) despite being promoted (and photographed) in the Harrow Weekly Post on 19 May.
Selected gigs:
13 May 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
15 May 1965 – St Mary’s College (most likely in Twickenham, west London)
16 May 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
20 May 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London
21 May 1965 – Old Lyon Hall, Harrow, northwest London (may have been Café de Artiste in Fulham, southwest London instead but was advertised in Harrow Observer & Gazette)
22 May 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
23 May 1965 – gig in Mudeford (Dorset?)
27 May 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
28 May 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
29 May 1965 – Starlite (but was this Greenford, northwest London)
30 May 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
2 June 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Melody Maker says 3 June)
3 June 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London
4 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
Annette Culley – lead vocals
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Phil Kenton – drums
+
Dave Brogden – tenor saxophone (intermittently)
As agreed with Jan Frewer, Dave Brogden continued to occasionally gig with Wainwright’s Gentlemen (see below gigs with*) when he wasn’t working with The Statesides, who he officially joined on 17 June. This agreement to sit in with Wainwright’s Gentlemen lasted until late September.
Dave Brogden (third from left). Photo: Dave Brogden
Brogden remembers that a few days after 26 September, Wainwright Gentlemen’s drummer Phil Kenton got in touch (possibly because there was a hiatus in Wainwright Gentlemen’s gigs) and said he’d been offered an extremely well paid gig with an Irish show band performing at an Irish dance hall in Balham. The group also needed a sax player and the residency, which guaranteed three nights a week, started on 1 October.
The sax player left The Statesides and Kenton departed Wainwright’s Gentlemen to join the Irish show band but Kenton only lasted the weekend before being replaced by an Irish drummer. Kenton briefly returned to Wainwright’s Gentlemen but was clearly getting itchy feet to move on.
Brogden meanwhile lasted a few more weeks before the Irish show band stopped working and he returned to The Statesides on 29 October.
Selected gigs:
5 June 1965 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London with The Prophets *
6 June 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
10 June 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
11 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *
12 June 1965 – LSE, Malden (Surrey?)
13 June 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
15 June 1965 – gig in Dagenham, Essex
17 June 1965 – Wistowe House dance hall, Hayes, west London
18 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
19 June 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire *
20 June 1965 – Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire
24 June 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
25 June 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
26 June 1965 – Kodak Hall, Hemel Hempstead, Herts
27 June 1965 – Windsor, Berkshire (most likely Star & Garter)
3 July 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *
5 July 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts
9 July 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *
24 July 1965 – Hi-Fi Hop, Weybridge Hall, Weybridge, Surrey
6 August 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *
13 August 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London *
21 August 1965 – Royal Star Ballroom, Maidstone, Kent (Kent Messenger)
21 August 1965 – The Savoy Rooms, Catford, southeast London with Trendsetters Ltd
28 August 1965 – Gari Ballroom, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with John’s Court
11 September 1965 – Queen of Harts (location not known) *
18 September 1965 – Club de Dance, Colchester, Essex *
22 September 1965 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London *
24 September 1965 – Café des Artistes, Fulham, southwest London
Left to right: Jim Searle, Val Cockayne, Annette Cully, Jan Frewer, Phil Kenton and Peter Cockayne, circa late 1965. Thanks to Phil Cockayne for providing.
Annette Cully – lead vocals
Val Cockayne – lead vocals
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Peter Cockayne – keyboards
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Phil Kenton – drums
Around late September, the band appeared to have stopped gigging briefly, which was when Kenton landed the gig with the Irish show band. When that didn’t work out, he returned to Wainwright’s Gentlemen who had brought in a second (female) singer Val Cockayne and her husband Peter on keyboards during the drummer’s absence.
It isn’t clear how long the Cockaynes stayed with Wainwright’s Gentlemen but possibly until November-December (and long enough to be photographed).
Peter Cockayne recalls that Mick Tucker joined shortly before the couple departed Wainwright’s Gentlemen. However, it’s also plausible that Tucker just auditioned when Kenton left to work with the Irish show band and the group held on to his details as a future replacement when Kenton did finally depart sometime in late 1965.
Selected gigs:
9 October 1965 – Hi-Fi Hop, Weybridge Hall, Weybridge, Surrey
Annette Cully – lead vocals
Gordon Fairminer – lead guitar
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Tony Hall – tenor saxophone (joined slightly after Fairminer)
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Mick Tucker – drums
Gordon Fairminer (left) and Ian Gillan (centre) with The Javelins 1964. Photo: Tony Tacon
Lead guitarist Gordon Fairminer, who had played with Ian Gillan in The Javelins and who joined Wainwright’s Gentlemen immediately after the Cockaynes left, remembers that Mick Tucker came to see the group play at the Clay Pigeon in Eastcote on one occasion and that he replaced Kenton soon after. Tucker had started out in an instrumentals band with future Wainwright’s Gentlemen and Sweet guitarist Frank Torpey.
Shortly after Fairminer joined (circa November/December 1965), Wainwright’s Gentlemen also brought in tenor saxophone player Tony Hall, who had started out playing with early ‘60s west London band Peter Nelson & The Travellers. As Peter’s Faces, this group had made some recordings.
Fairminer and Searle began playing harmony solos on guitar, which was innovative for its time.
The new guitarist remembers that Wainwright’s Gentlemen had a regular Friday night residency at the Café des Artistes in Fulham from late 1965 through to 1967.
The new line up remained stable until around June-July 1966 when the musicians auditioned for another male singer and brought in Brian McManus (aka Connolly), who had previously sung with The Troop from Harefield, northwest London.
Selected gigs:
11 December 1965 – Acre Hall, Northwood, northwest London
25 June 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & His Band, The Paramounts, Mood Indigo and The Astrobeats
Annette Cully – lead vocals
Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals
Gordon Fairminer – lead guitar
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Tony Hall – tenor saxophone
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Mick Tucker – drums
Sometime around early November Annette Cully departed and the group continued with Brian Connolly as sole lead singer.
Selected gigs:
30 July 1966 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Reasons
24 September 1966 – Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge (featuring Annette)
1 October 1966 – Harrow County School for Boys, Harrow, London with The Stalkers
22 October 1966 – ABC North Harrow Bowling Centre, Moonlight Bowl, Harrow, London (featuring Annette)
Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals
Gordon Fairminer – lead guitar
Jim Searle – lead guitar
Tony Hall – tenor saxophone
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Mick Tucker – drums
The remaining members – Brian Connolly, Tony Hall, Jim Searle, Gordon Fairminer, Jan Frewer and Mick Tucker – recorded two demo tracks at Regent’s Sound in late 1966/early 1967, which surfaced on an acetate – “You Look So Tame” and “One of a Kind”.
On 2 January 1967, Jan Frewer, Gordon Fairminer and Mick Tucker were involved in a car crash on the way home from a gig on the south coast, possibly in Brighton.
According to Fairminer, Frewer was driving his Singer Chamois when the incident happened. The guitarist was in the front passenger seat and Mick Tucker was in the back seat.
The car hit a tree at around 50-60 mph on a wet Mortlake Road. The guitarist broke both legs. Frewer fractured his pelvis and Tucker had some internal bleeding. The bass player and drummer were both hospitalised for about a week.
Former Wainwright’s Gentlemen guitarist Alf Fripp covered for Frewer while he recovered.
Fairminer had a full length plaster on his left leg for about four to five months and half length on his right leg for about a month. While he recuperated, Jim Searle carried all the lead guitar duties.
The guitarist remembers that after the plaster was removed from his right leg, he continued to gig with Wainwright’s Gentlemen and recalls a show at the Café Des Artistes in Fulham perched high at the front of the stage, with his straight plastered leg hanging over the edge of the stage with a very large black boot. Some of the audience scribbled messages on the plaster.
The Hounslow Post reported its 14 July 1967 issue, page 10, that Julie was singing with the band. However, Fairminer has no recollection of another female singer after Cully left.
Selected gigs:
12 November 1966 – Sperry FC, Bracknell, Berkshire
19 November 1966 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire with The Cinette Sounds
4 March 1967 – Harrow Boys County School, Harrow, London with The Mustangs
8 April 1967 – Sperry FC, Bracknell, Berkshire with The Movement
10 June 1967 – Sperry FC, Bracknell, Berkshire with The Rite Amount
11 August 1967 – Les Jeux Interdits, Cambridge
2 October 1967 – Harrow County Boys School, Harrow, London with Two of Each
1 November 1967 – Les Jeux Interdits, Cambridge
8 November 1967 – Les Jeus Interdits, Cambridge
Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals
Frank Torpey – lead guitar
Tony Hall – tenor saxophone
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Mick Tucker – drums
Around November 1967, former Tribe lead guitarist Frank Torpey came in for Gordon Fairminer. Jim Searle also departed at this point (if not earlier) and later became a classical guitarist.
However, Torpey (who’d started out in a band with Mick Tucker in 1962) only lasted a handful of months and by late January 1968, Frewer’s friend Robin Box had succeeded him on lead guitar. According to an article in the Harrow Observer, dated 24 October 1969, Box had previously played with The Phantoms and Five’s Company.
Torpey notes in his diary that his final gig took place on 20 January at a hospital but he doesn’t have any more details. The gigs below are from his diary (where he has firm details).
Selected gigs:
17 November 1967 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London
18 November 1967 – London University, London
25 November 1967 – Gillingham, Kent (possibly Aurora Hotel)
2 December 1967 – Harrow County Boys’ School, Harrow, northwest London with Two of Each
9 December 1967 – Croydon, south London (no details)
15 December 1967 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, west London
23 December 1967 – Clay Pigeon, Eastcote, northwest London
31 December 1967 – Private party
Photo may need copyright. Wainwright’s Gentlemen, January 1968, left to right: Tony Hall, Robin Box, Mick Tucker, Jan Frewer and Brian Connolly
Brian McManus (aka Connolly) – lead vocals
Robin Box – lead guitar
Tony Hall – tenor saxophone
Jan Frewer – bass, vocals
Mick Tucker – drums
Photo may need copyright. Wainwright’s Gentlemen, January 1968
Tucker and Connolly weren’t happy with Torpey’s dismissal and in early February 1968 they left the band. The pair reunited with Torpey and together with bass player Steve Priest from another west London band, The Army, they formed The Sweet.
The Sweet, July 1968. Left to right: Steve Priest, Brian Connolly, Frank Torpey and Mick Tucker
Remaining members Robin Box, Jan Frewer and Tony Hall brought in drummer Roger Hills and, according to an article in the Harrow Observer from 24 October 1969, toured the northern clubs with Gordon Waller from Peter & Gordon.
They then toured Europe for three months, including playing at the P&N Club in Munich, West Germany as Rupert’s Spoon. Returning to the UK around late May, they toured the northern club circuit.
Selected gigs:
17 February 1968 – Ship Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey with The Effect
4 May 1968 – Harrow County Boys’ School, Harrow, northwest London with Orbit 5
1 June 1968 – Aurora Hotel, Gillingham, Kent with The Web and The Foundations
Minus Frewer, who later went on to roadie for The Sweet, Robin Box, Tony Hall and Roger Hills found work backing The Flowerpot Men whose members included Hall’s ex-colleagues from Peter’s Faces. They toured Europe as their backing band, Rupert’s Spoon.
Hall later left to join Simon K & The Meantimes before joining Geno Washington & The Ram Jam in mid-1970. In early 1971, however, he reunited with Robin Box and Roger Hills in White Plains.
In later years Hall went on to work with the Houseshakers, Screaming Lord Sutch, Flying Fox and Chas & Dave among others and also did session work for Shakin’ Stevens and Sheena Easton.
Huge thanks to Dave Brogden (who very kindly shared his diary entries), Jan Frewer, Alf Fripp, Val Cockayne, Phil Cockayne, Frank Torpey, Gordon Fairminer, Tony Tacon and Tony Hall for helping with the story. I’d also like to credit Mark Lay’s book on the band’s early years.
This is an extensively updated version of an article that was originally published on the Strange Brew website. I’d like to thank Jason Barnard for all of his help and support over the years.
Gigs above were sourced from many newspapers and magazines. This is not a complete list but includes Melody Maker, Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, Walthamstow Guardian, Hayes Gazette, Yarmouth Mercury, Herts & Essex Observer, Hertfordshire Express, Harrow Observer & Gazette, Woking Herald, Cambridge News, Surrey Advertiser and Evening Argus.
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
The Tribe were a northwest London band from Kilburn that formed around late 1964 and were notable for featuring future Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band bass player Dennis Cowan and Frank Torpey, who was the original lead guitarist in The Sweet. Torpey had started out in a band with future Sweet drummer Mick Tucker. Drummer Malcolm Wolffe subsequently played with Happy Magazine and then Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band.
Regulars at the Ealing Club and the State Ballroom Kilburn, the band gigged widely (see gigs list below) and travelled to Paris twice to play at the Gaff Club. The Tribe also spent a month in Copenhagen, Denmark in spring 1966. Petticoat Magazine ran a short article on them in its 4 June issue (see below).
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Signed to Shel Talmy’s Planet label, The Tribe’s debut single was the blues rocker “The Gamma Goochie” c/w “I’m Leaving”, which was produced by John Sullivan and issued on 4 February 1966.
The former can be found on the Big Beat compilation CD Planet Mod while the latter has been included on another CD in the Big Beat series, Planet Beat. Out of interest, Planet Mod also includes the previously unreleased Tribe recording “Don’t Let It Be”, which was cut in March 1966.
After recording a couple of unreleased demo tracks after leaving Planet, including a cover of Edwin Starr’s “Headline News” and a track called “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose” (the latter at Abbey Road), The Tribe moved to RCA for its second release in May 1967 – the soulful “Love Is a Beautiful Thing” c/w “Steel Guitar and a Glass of Wine”.
That same month, the group landed a three-month residency at the Marquee (and while there played at the exclusive Mayfair club the Scotch of St James a handful of times after finishing up at the Marquee in the evening).
In mid-August, to tap into the burgeoning psychedelic scene, The Tribe changed name to Dream and appeared at the Festival of the Flower Children held at Woburn Festival on 27 August 1967.
When the band broke up in October 1967, Torpey spent a few months with another west London band, Wainwright’s Gentlemen where he worked with soon-to-be Sweet band mates Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker.
Selected gigs:
7 November 1964 – Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Bucks with The Troggs
9 January 1965 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions
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30 March 1965 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex
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8 April 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London
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13 April 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London
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2 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London
7 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London
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11 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London
13 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London
14 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London
23 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London
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25 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London
28 May 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London
31 May 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London
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3 June 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, northwest London with The CC Riders and Initial Four
3 July 1965 – Club Noreik, Tottenham, north London
6 July 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Dae ‘B’ Four
13 August 1965 – California Ballroom, Dunstable with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and Bern Elliott & The Klan
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14 August 1965 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The Dragsters
4 September 1965 – Club Dolphin, Luton, Beds
18 September 1965 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with Johnny Cannon & The Shades
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8 October 1965 – Legion Hall, Amersham, Bucks
16 October 1965 – Finstock, Oxfordshire
23 October 1965 – Tackley, Oxfordshire
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20 November 1965 – Airport Restaurant, Rochester Airport, Rochester, Kent
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22 November 1965 – Drill Hall, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire
9 December 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, west London
18 December 1965 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Devil’s Coachmen
24 December 1965 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with The Dickens Set
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26 December 1965 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and Jimmy Cliff, Ayshea, Pete Hodges and The New Generation (advert says they are from the Marquee)
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8 January 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with The Sneakers
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14 January 1966 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire (from the Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London)
5 February 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable with The Overlanders and The Amboy Dukes
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19 February 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with The Zombies
26 February 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire with The Fenmen
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1 April 1966 – Club Continental, Eastbourne, East Sussex
30 April 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with The Amboy Dukes
Photo: Petticoat magazine, 4 June 1966. Image may be subject to copyright
10 June 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester
19 June 1966 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Valiants and The Trackmarks
25 June 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with St Louis Union
26 June 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent
2 July 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk with Abject Blues
17 July 1966 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with Brian Poole & The Tremeloes
6 August 1966 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham
7 August 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London
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13 August 1966 – ABC Promotions, Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Zuider Zee
14 August 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham
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20 August 1966 – The 7 Club, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, Shropshire with Chris Ian
27 August 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Small Faces, John & Nicky (and group), The Flashbacks and The Ferryboys
2 September 1966 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham
3 September 1966 – Gaiety, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Eyes of Blond
10 September 1966 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & His Band, The Utopians and The Versions
25 September 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham
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30 September 1966 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands
7 October 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London
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15 October 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with New Generation
22 October 1966 – The Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Savoy Brown Blues Band
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2 November 1966 – Gravesend R&B Club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent (Thanks to Andy Neill for providing PACE magazine entry)
5 November 1966 – The Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (also have them playing at New Spot, Gosport, Hampshire on this day)
6 November 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London
18 November 1966 – Beaconsfield Youth Club, Beaconsfield, Bucks
19 November 1966 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham with Fla Makane
2 December 1966 – Dancing Slipper Ballroom, West Bridgeford, Nottingham with Herbie Goins & The Night Timers
3 December 1966 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
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15 December 1966 – Flying Fox Club, RAF Cottesmore, Rutland with Davey Sands & The Essex, Marmalade and The Nemkons
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17 December 1966 – ABC Promotions, Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Seasons
19 December 1966 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Missing Links
24 December 1966 – Bath Regency Ballroom, Bath with The First Lites and The Workshop
1 January 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham
7 January 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester
13 January 1967 – Bicester Youth Centre, Bicester
14 January 1967 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Warwickshire with The Pride & Passion
14 January 1967 – Flamingo Ballroom, Penzance, Cornwall with The Dissatisfied
16 January 1967 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire
25 January 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent
31 January 1967 – Crayford Town Hall, Crayford, Kent
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18 February 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester
25 February 1967 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with The Washington DCs
5 March 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham (they might have been replaced by The Army)
8 March 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Savoy Brown Blues Band
18 March 1967 – New Yorker Discotheque, Swindon, Wiltshire with Sac-0-Woe
25 March 1967 – New Dungeon Club, Nottingham
30 March 1967 – Marquee, London with Marmalade
1 April 1967 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham
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1 April 1967 – Beeches Barn Theatre, Cirencester, Gloucestershire (advert mistakenly says they are from Oxford)
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10 April 1967 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Finger Print Set
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14 April 1967 – Bluesette, Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey
15 April 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Tonicks featuring Joey Young
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16 April 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent
4 May 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Marmalade
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6 May 1967 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with Chicago Line featuring Mike Patto and The New Generation
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26 May 1967 – Slipper, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
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27 May 1967 – Exeter Eights Week Ball, Oxford University with The Cream, The Other Extreme and The Cabinet
27 May 1967 – St Thomas’ Hall, Brentwood, Essex
3 June 1967 – Bal Tabarin, Downham, southeast London with supporting groups
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7 June 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham
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9 June 1967 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham
15 June 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Marmalade
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17 June 1967 – Hull College of Commerce Students’ Union, Hull, Humberside with That Feeling and The Locomotion
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24 June 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester
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1 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Stalkers
2 July 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham
8 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Love Affair
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15 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Monopoly
22 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ten Years After
29 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Darlings
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5 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Third Eye
12 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Impact Blues
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19 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Nite People
Selected gigs (as Dream)
26 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Third Eye
27 August 1967 – Festival of the Flower Children, Woburn Abbey, Woburn, Bedfordshire with The Move, Eric Burdon & The New Animals, The Soft Machine and others
2 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London
9 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Herbal Mixture
16 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Iveys
23 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Mud
30 September 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire
30 September 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Third Eye
21 October 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with Zoot Money
22 October 1967 – Rendezvous Club, Margate, Kent
These final gigs must have been a different band unless some of the members carried on with the name after Frank Torpey left.
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11 December 1967 – Broadway Club, Dudley Zoo with The Probe (see gig poster as they had been on tour)
29 December 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent
Thanks to Frank Torpey, Alec Palao and Bruce Welsh for providing information.
This is an extensively updated version of an article that was originally published on the Strange Brew website. I’d like to thank Jason Barnard for all of his help and support over the years.
The gigs above were sourced from many sources. I apologise for any sources that are missing but they include Melody Maker, the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, Birmingham Evening Mail, Bucks Free Press, Lynn News, Nottingham Evening Post, Northampton Chronicle, Oxford Mail, Cherwell, Banbury Guardian, Andover Advertiser, Hull Daily Mail, East Kent Times & Mail.
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
Located at 3 New Burlington Street, W1, Samantha’s opened in early November 1966.
There is very little information about this important night club so I would welcome any memorabilia and further details about artists that performed here.
1966
London Life magazine’s 10-16 September issue notes that the club was opening during October.
London Life magazine, mid-October 1966
However, the same magazine’s 22-28 October issue reports that the club was opening shortly with James Bond décor and a coffee bar with outdoor patio, indicating that it was early November.
London Life mid-November 1966
London Life magazine’s 12-18 November issue reports that Samantha’s was open and hosted groups, although no names were listed.
London Life mid-December 1966
14 December (Wednesday) – Bobby Hebb (Melody Maker and London Life magazine)
London Life, New Year’s Eve, 1966
1967
I have no entries for this year apart from the one below so would welcome any further information on artists that performed at the central London club.
According to the poster for Gloucester YMCA below, The Official Receivers played at Samantha’s around October-November 1967.
Located on Allendale Road in Greenford (sometimes billed as Sudbury or Wembley) in northwest London, the Starlite Ballroom was a significant music venue in the UK during the early-to-late 1960s. Peter Griffin booked artists for the venue, together with the Starlight Ballroom in Crawley, West Sussex.
I have started to list gigs for the years 1964-1965 but these are incomplete and I would welcome any additions and corrections. I’d also welcome any photos and concert adverts, which will be credited accordingly.
1964
25 September (Friday) – The Paramounts and Alexis Korner’s Blues Inc (Harrow Observer & Gazette) Grand opening
26 September (Saturday) – Sounds Incorporated (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
3 October (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides with The Rustics (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
24 October (Saturday) – The Merseybeats and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
25 October (Sunday) – The Mojos (Beat Instrumental) Needs confirmation
7 November (Saturday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
14 November (Saturday) – Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
18 November (Wednesday) – The Applejacks (Beat Instrumental) Needs confirmation
27 November (Friday) – The Mojos (Beat Instrumental)
28 November (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
29 November (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens (Beat Instrumental) Needs confirmation
12 December (Saturday) – Linda Laine & The Sinners and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
13 December (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
1965
17 January (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
23 January (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and Cergano & The Cavaliers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
30 January (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and JJ & The Challengers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
13 February (Saturday) – Buddy Britten & The Regents and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
14 February (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
27 February (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides with Unit 5 (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
13 March (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and JJ & The Challengers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
20 March (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and James Tamyln (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
21 March (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
2 April (Friday) – The Barron Knights and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
10 April (Saturday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
23 April (Friday) – Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
24 April (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides and The Beachcombers (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
25 April (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
14 May (Friday) – Jean & The Statesides and Sonny Childe & The Elders (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
16 May (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
22 May (Saturday) – The All-Nite Workers and The Hysters (Don Martin’s diary)
28 May (Friday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
Photo: Jeff Sturgeon. Jean & The Statesides, 1965. Left to right: Bill Stemp, Ian Walker, Dave Brogden, Jean Hayles, Jeff Sturgeon, Mick Bloomfield and Dave Hovington
4 June (Friday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
5 June (Saturday) – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
11 June (Friday) – Peter & Gordon and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
19 June (Saturday) – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
26 June (Saturday) – The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
Singer Jean Hayles left before this gig and they gigged as The Statesides. The band’s line-up comprised Jeff Sturgeon (lead guitar), Bill Stemp (keyboards/sax), Dave Hovington (rhythm guitar), Dave Brogden (sax), Mick Bloomfield (bass) and Ian Walker (drums)
27 June (Sunday) – The Who and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
4 July (Sunday) – The Yardbirds (Beat Instrumental)
18 July (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens (Beat Instrumental)
24 July (Saturday) – Heinz and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
25 July (Sunday) – The Moody Blues (Beat Instrumental)
31 July (Saturday) – The Pentad and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
8 August (Sunday) – The Birds and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)
15 August (Sunday) – Simon Scott & The All-Nite Workers and The Statesides (Dave Brodgen’s gig diary/Don Martin’s diary)
20 August (Friday) – The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)
27 August (Friday) – The Graham Bond Organisation and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)
10 September (Friday) – The Birds and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)
12 September (Sunday) – The Pretty Things and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary) Beat Instrumental lists The Walker Brothers on this date
26 September (Sunday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)
1 October (Friday) – The Hollies (Beat Instrumental)
15 October (Friday) – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Beat Instrumental)
17 October (Sunday) – The Sorrows (Record Mirror)
24 October (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)
30 October (Saturday) – The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)
31 October (Sunday) – The Kinks and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary) Beat Instrumental lists The Downliners Sec to this date
6 November (Saturday) – The Bo Street Runners and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
7 November (Sunday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)
20 November (Saturday) – Hedgehoppers Anonymous and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
28 November (Sunday) – Rob Storme & The Whispers and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
3 December (Friday) – The Animals (Beat Instrumental)
10 December (Friday) – Ketty Lester and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
12 December (Saturday) – Rob Storme & The Whispers and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary and Dave Brodgen’s gig diary)
31 December (Friday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Beat Instrumental)
Many thanks to Rolf Hannet for helping with some Beat Instrumental gigs
The Roosters featured in Jackie magazine. Thanks to Nigel Lees for providing
Pete Jeffries (lead guitar)
Del Turner (rhythm guitar)
John Lee (sax)
Ron Jeffries (bass)
Jim Strachan (drums)
Not to be confused with another southwest London band of the same name, which at one point featured both Eric Clapton and future Manfred Mann guitarist Tom McGuiness, this early 1960s band comprised the above line up.
This version of The Roosters were profiled in both Jackie magazine (see above) and Surrey Comet newspaper in its 7 March 1964 issue (page 7).
According to Nigel Lees, who has included one of the band’s tracks on the new LP 17 from Morden, this version of The Roosters recorded three tracks for BBC’s Beat Room in October 1964. They also recorded five acetates for Oak at R G Jones in Morden.
The Roosters also played regularly at the Cellar Club in Kingston upon Thames, the Attic in Hounslow and other venues in the area.
However, there is very little information about the musicians so please get in touch if you can provide more details.
Big thanks to Nigel Lees for providing some info on the band.
Guitarist Mick Clarke worked with Freddie Mack around mid-late 1970. This photo shows the group at the Marquee in Wardour Street, Soho, London. Thanks to Pete Clarke for the photo.
Unlike the earlier versions, I have found very little information on Freddie Mack’s groups post-February/March 1969 when he split with the previous version. I would love to hear from anyone who can fill in the blanks.
Billed mainly as ‘The Freddie Mac Extravanganza’, an entirely new version debuted on 11 April 1969 at the New Market Hotel in Bristol. A few weeks later, they played at the New Rainbow Suite Co-op in Birmingham on 24 April.
According to the Nantwich Chronicle, the 13-piece band performed at the Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with Rubber Soul on 26 April.
The Freddie Mac Road Show played at the Royal Hotel, Walsall on 4 May 1969, according to the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle. The Birmingham Evening Mail lists the band playing at Club Cedar with Passion Forest the next day.
Photo: Birmingham Evening Mail
According to Melody Maker, the new line up then toured West Germany in June.
Drummer Maurice McElroy remembers playing in a seven-nine piece band with Freddie Mack called the Freddie Mac Extravaganza II, which featured a female singer, a male singer, a female dancer plus two other dancers. However, it only lasted a few months.
McElroy confirms that his version played from late June (just after the West German tour above) but he himself left around October 1969.
McElroy says that the band’s roadie Roy Truman left soon after joining Freddie Mack to form a band called Swegas (alongside trumpet player Chris Dawe who worked with Mack in 1967-1968) in which he played bass.
Swegas appears to have been formed in mid-1969 and McElroy joined them later that year. Noel Norris appears to have played with Freddie Mack again in 1970 (see later line up below).
The drummer remembers the following musicians in Mack’s band:
Terry Jenkins – lead guitar
Buddy Bounds – trumpet (replaced by Noel Norris)
Nick Judd – keyboards
Maurice McElroy – drums have found the following gigs, which would cover McElroy’s time with the group:
23 June 1969 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London
14 July 1969 – Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Shady Lane and Wall City Jazzmen
19 July 1969 – Raven Club, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire with Stonewall Jackson and Dusk Soul featuring Clive Bond (billed as Freddie Mack Show)
21 July 1969 – Thomas A Beckett, Old Kent Road, south London (pictures of the group playing here on this date can be found at Getty) The same photo appeared in the Evening Standard, 22 July 1969, page 30
28 July 1969 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London
9 August 1969 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Heatwave
14 August 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Lee Harmer’s Popcorn (billed as Freddie Mac Extravaganza)
25 August 1969 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (billed as Freddie Mac Extravaganza)
30 August 1969 – Kent Pop Festival with Deep Purple
5 September 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham
20 September 1969 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with First Back from Heaven and Respect (billed as Freddie Mack Extravaganza)
26 October 1969 – Le Metro, Birmingham
According to singer Bob Mundy (see comments section below), his group, The International Road Show from Southend-on-Sea joined Freddie Mack around November 1969.
Bob Mundy – vocals
Erline ? – vocals
Yudell Anderson – vocals
Steve Sallis – guitar
Brian Williams – bass
John Walsh – Hammond organ
Pat Green – drums
Jeff Bridges – tenor sax
Phil Presland – baritone sax
+
Kenny Baxter – saxophone
Digby Fairweather – trumpet
I have found the following gigs for this formation:
13 December 1969 – Cue Club, Paddington, London (billed as Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound)
24 December 1969 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and Lloyd Williams Soul Caravan
27 December 1969 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Earthquakes (billed as Freddie Mack Extravaganza)
21-22 March 1970 – Tamla Village, D’Arblay Street, London with Freddie Notes & The Rudies and The Tonics
Photo: Pete Clarke. His brother Mick Clarke playing with Freddie Mack at the Marquee, 1970
Lead guitarist Mick Clarke played with Freddie Mack from around mid-to-late 1970 (and possibly in the April-May 1969 line up too). Clarke was with a band called Hunter when he met Mack and this same band recorded under the name Orang-utan after he left the singer in late 1970.
Clarke says that the band was fluid, in as much as it would have different horn players on each gig. However, the rhythm section was pretty stable. The guitarist adds that the typical line-up would feature Freddie Mack, a go-go-dancer, lead guitar, bass, drums, organ and three to five horn players (but sometimes nine).
Noel Norris, who had played with an earlier line up, left in October 1970 to form the band Marriage. Norris and Geoff Peach both went on to play with Pacific Gas & Electric in the United States. They then reunited again in a version of The Foundations in the early 1970s.
Clarke also says that singer Carl Douglas sat with the band at times, which would have been after September 1970 when he returned from Spain.
Freddie Mack, 1970, Marquee with Eddie Thornton (trumpet) and Mick Clarke (guitar). Photo: Pete Clarke
Mick Clarke lists the following musicians who played alongside him:
Mick Clarke – lead guitar
Jeffrey Jai Seopardi – drums
Steve Humphries – bass
Eddie Thornton – trumpet
Noel Norris – trumpet
Geoff Peach – saxophone
Photo from Pete Clarke. Playing at the Marquee, 1970
Around 1971/1972, former members of the band Sonority joined forces with Freddie Mack. Bobby Morris got in touch and I’ve included his email details in the comments section below.
I have found the following gigs which may cover different line-ups:
25 April 1970 – Baths Hall, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire with Cloud Nine, Freddie Notes & The Dynamic Rudies and Maggie & Sharon
The Torbay Express & South Devon Echo lists a group called Tenderness (ex-Freddie Mac Show) performing at the Madison Club in Torquay on 2-3 October 1970, which suggests this band backed Freddie Mac at some point in 1970.
21 November 1970 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Carl Edwards Roadshow
25 October 1971 – Wall City, Quaintways, Chester Cheshire with Aquarius (billed as Freddie Mack Sounds)
28 October 1971 – Beau Brummell Club, Royal Hotel, Crewe, Cheshire (billed as Freddie Mack Road Show)
6 November 1971 – Aquarius Club, Lincoln, Lincolnshire (billed as Freddie Mack Sounds)
The Woodstock ‘Roadhouse’ Hotel in north Cheam, southwest London, the Prince of Wales in Kingsbury, north London and the Byron Hotel in Greenford, northwest London were all operated by the same promoter: The Arthur Forest Organisation (AFO). Many of the same groups performed at all three venues.
Ken Samuels, who played with Flight One, very kindly provided these posters, both from 1965. We’d love to hear from anyone who played at this venue and can provide any more memorabilia and further information about their band. Email: Warchive@aol.com
Photo: Ken Samuels
1965
1 August (Sunday) – Combo 2000 (Ken Samuels’ poster)
4 August (Wednesday) – The Rivals and Surprise Group (Ken Samuels’ poster)
5 August (Thursday) – The Expressions (Ken Samuels’ poster)
6 August (Friday) – 5’s Company (Ken Samuels’ poster)
7 August (Saturday) – The Legends (Ken Samuels’ poster)
8 August (Sunday) – Flight One (Ken Samuels’ poster)
11 August (Wednesday) – Solomons Mines and Middlesex Group (Ken Samuels’ poster)
12 August (Thursday) – The Expressions (Ken Samuels’ poster)
13 August (Friday) – Unit 2 (Ken Samuels’ poster)
15 August (Sunday) – Rhythm 4 (Ken Samuels’ poster)
18 August (Wednesday) – Steve and What 4 and Guest Nite Group (Ken Samuels’ poster)
19 August (Thursday) – The Do Do’s (Ken Samuels’ poster)
20 August (Friday) – The Scepters (Ken Samuels’ poster)
22 August (Sunday) – The Reasons (Ken Samuels’ poster)
25 August (Wednesday) – The Tribe and Star Celebrities (Ken Samuels’ poster)
26 August (Thursday) – Earl Baron (Ken Samuels’ poster)
27 August (Friday) – The Proud Walkers (Ken Samuels’ poster)
28 August (Saturday) – The Centours (Ken Samuels’ poster)
29 August (Sunday) – The Orbits (Ken Samuels’ poster)
30 August (Bank Holiday Monday) – The Scepters (Ken Samuels’ poster)
Photo: Ken Samuels
1 September (Wednesday) – The Do Do’s and The 4 Inches (Ken Samuels’ poster)
2 September (Thursday) – The Deltons (Ken Samuels’ poster)
3 September (Friday) – NSG Group (Ken Samuels’ poster)
4 September (Saturday) – Generation 5 and Great Expectations (Ken Samuels’ poster)
5 September (Sunday) – 5’s Company (Ken Samuels’ poster)
8 September (Wednesday) – Steve and What 4, DJ Blues Band and The Tuxedos (Ken Samuels’ poster)
9 September (Thursday) – Earl Baron 5 (Ken Samuels’ poster)
10 September (Friday) – Unit 2 (Ken Samuels’ poster)
11 September (Saturday) – 5’s Company and The Arts Group (Ken Samuels’ poster)
12 September (Sunday) – Flight One (Ken Samuels’ poster)
15 September (Wednesday) – Rhythm 4 and Group 66 (Ken Samuels’ poster)
16 September (Thursday) – The Expressions (Ken Samuels’ poster)
17 September (Friday) – The Tuxedos (Ken Samuels’ poster)
18 September (Saturday) – The Deils and The Rollovers (Ken Samuels’ poster)
19 September (Sunday) – Rhythm 4 (Ken Samuels’ poster)
22 September (Wednesday) – Earl Baron 5 and The King Pins (Ken Samuels’ poster)
23 September (Thursday) – The Pinkerton Men (Ken Samuels’ poster)
24 September (Friday) – The Rivals (Ken Samuels’ poster)
25 September (Saturday) – The Proud Walkers and The Pitmen (Ken Samuels’ poster)
26 September (Sunday) – The Insect (Ken Samuels’ poster)
29 September (Wednesday) – The Maniacs and The Watch Committee (Ken Samuels’ poster)
30 September (Thursday) – Great Expectations (Ken Samuels’ poster)
Photo: Caterham Weekly Press
18 December (Saturday) – Three groups (Caterham Weekly Press & Advertiser)
24 December (Friday) – The Flames (aka Jeff Curtis & The Flames) (Caterham Weekly Press & Advertiser)
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
