The Spectres, February 1964. Photo: South East London Mercury
The El Partido in Lewisham, southeast London was located at 8-10 Lee High Road and was a popular spot for young Jamaicans and local mods.
There is a gig for The Spectres (who later morphed into Status Quo) who played here on 10 February 1964 and every Monday (see very top) which reveals that the club had originally operated under different management and closed sometime during 1964. It looks like the club re-opened on 12 December with The Beasts playing that evening.
The excellent Transpontine website notes that King Ossie Sound played at the club regularly. Other guests included Jamaicans Jimmy Cliff and The Duke Reid Sound.
Local R&B outfit, The Loose Ends, who cut two singles for Decca, were also house band at some point in late 1965.
I have started a gig list and would welcome any additions plus any memories of the venue, which was closed down in April 1967.
12 December 1964 – The Beasts
19 December 1964 – The Loose Ends
26 December 1964 – The Beavers
27 March 1965 – Tony Knight’s Chessmen and Mankinde
28 March 1965 – Duke Lee
31 March 1965 – The Hubbubs
1 April 1965 – Group Survival
2 April 1965 – The King Bees
3 April 1965 – The Loose Ends
Photo: Melody Maker
4 September 1965 – The Eyes
Photo: Melody Maker
9 September 1965 – The Duke Lee Sound System
10 September 1965 – The Loose Ends (upstairs)
10 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
11 September 1965 – Duke Lee (upstairs, first session)
11 September 1965 – The Loose Ends (downstairs, first session)
11 September 1965 – Lou Johnson, Sonny Childe, The Loose Ends and Duke Lee (second session)
16 September 1965 – The Mixed Feelings (upstairs)
16 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
17 September 1965 – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and Duke Lee
18 September 1965 – Duke Lee (upstairs, first and second session)
18 September 1965 – The Artwoods (downstairs, first session)
18 September 1965 – The Artwoods and The Loose Ends (downstairs, second session)
South East London Mercury has The Loose Ends with Lou Johnson on the above date
22 September 1965 – The Changing Times (upstairs)
22 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
Photo: Melody Maker
23 September 1965 – The Plain Facts (upstairs)
23 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
24 September 1965 – Memphis Chucks (upstairs)
24 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
25 September 1965 – Guy Darrell (upstairs, first session)
25 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs, first session)
25 September 1965 – Guy Darrell, The Loose Ends and Duke Lee (second session)
26 September 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
29 September 1965 – The Minor Birds (upstairs)
The Minor Birds morphed into Mr Mo’s Messengers in 1967
29 September 1965 – Duke Lee (downstairs)
Photo: Melody Maker
30 September 1965 – The Sons of Fred and Duke Lee
1 October 1965 – Duke Lee
2 October 1965 – Jesse Fuller, The Spectres and Duke Lee (first session)
2 October 1965 – Jesse Fuller, Loose Ends, The Spectres and Duke Lee (second session)
The Spectres later morphed into Status Quo
3 October 1965 – Duke Lee
6 October 1965 – Kiko 6 and Duke Lee
7-8 October 1965 – Duke Lee
9 October 1965 – Dave Anthony’s Moods, Next of Kin and Duke Lee (first session)
Photo: Melody Maker
9 October 1965 – The Loose Ends, Dave Anthony’s Moods, Duke Lee and Next of Kin (second session)
10 October 1965 – Duke Lee
13 October 1965 – Creeper’s Blues and Duke Lee
Photo: Melody Maker
14 October 1965 – Diddley Daddies and Duke Lee
16 October 1965 – The Stormsville Shakers and Duke Lee (first session)
16 October 1965 – The Stormsville Shakers, Duke Lee and The Minor Birds (second session)
17 October 1965 – Bo Diddley and Duke Lee
20 October 1965 – Long, Short and Tall, Duke Lee and The Loose Ends
Photo: Melody Maker
21 October 1965 – Under-mined and Duke Lee Sounds
22 October 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
23 October 1965 – The Loose Ends and Duke Lee (first session)
23 October 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Minor Birds and Duke Lee (second session)
24 October 1965 – Duke Lee
27 October 1965 – John Brown’s Bodies and Duke Lee
This version of John Brown’s Bodies were from Hammersmith and weren’t the same Brighton group that had Keith Emerson
28 October 1965 – Next of Kin and Duke Lee
29 October 1965 – Marshall Scott Etc and Duke Lee
30 October 1965 – The Hamilton Movement and Duke Lee Sounds (first session)
Photo: Melody Maker
30 October 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Hamilton Movement and Duke Lee (second session)
31 October 1965 – Duke Lee
3 November 1965 – Blues Roots, Duke Lee and The Loose Ends
Photo: Melody Maker
4 November 1965 – Deacon Louis GP and Duke Lee
5 November 1965 – Duke Lee
6 November 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres and Duke Lee (first session)
6 November 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres, The Movement and Duke Lee (second session)
7 November 1965 – Duke Lee
10 November 1965 – The Nature’s Boys and Duke Lee
Photo: Melody Maker
11 November 1965 – Lawlors Legs and Duke Lee
12 November 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
Photo: Melody Maker
13 November 1965 – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and Duke Lee (first session)
13 November 1965 – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays, The Movement and Duke Lee (second session)
14 November 1965 – Duke Lee
17 November 1965 – The Links, The Fetish Crowd and Duke Lee
Photo: Melody Maker
18 November 1965 – Sounds Anonymous and Duke Lee
19 November 1965 – Duke Lee
20 November 1965 – Guy Darrell, Winds of Change and Duke Lee (first session)
20 November 1965 – The Loose Ends, Guy Darrell, Winds of Change and Duke Lee (second session)
21 November 1965 – Duke Lee
24 November 1965 – The New Jump Band and Duke Lee
Photo: Melody Maker
25 November 1965 – Two Squared and Duke Lee
26 November 1965 – Duke Lee
27 November 1965 – The Panics and Duke Lee (first session)
27 November 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Panics and Duke Lee (second session)
28 November 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
1 December 1965 – Group Survival and Duke Lee
Photo: Melody Maker
17 December 1965 – Duke Lee Sounds
18 December 1965 – The Frank Sheen Sound and Duke Lee (first session)
18 December 1965 – The Loose Ends, The Frank Sheen Sound and Duke Lee (second session)
19 December 1965 – Major Lance (with Bluesology) and Duke Lee
22 December 1965 – The Templars, The Cardinals and Duke Lee
24 December 1965 – The Loose Ends, Duke Lee and The Frank Sheen Sound
Photo: Melody Maker
25-26 December 1965 – Duke Lee
31 December 1965 – Duke Lee
Photo: Melody Maker
22 January 1966 – Simon Dupree & The Big Sound and Duke Lee
23 January 1966 – The Exciters and Duke Lee
26 January 1966 – The Just Blues, The Wild Set and Duke Lee
28 January 1966 – Lee Dorsey and Duke Lee
29 January 1966 – Deakin Lewis and Duke Lee
30 January 1966 – The Drifters
Photo: Melody Maker
11 February 1966 – Doris Troy (with Bluesology) and Duke Lee
12 February 1966 – The Panicks and Duke Lee
13 February 1966 – Duke Lee
16 February 1966 – Duke Lee and various groups
18 February 1966 – Inez and Charlie Foxx
Photo: Melody Maker
25 March 1966 – Wilson Pickett with King Ossie Sounds (Wilson Pickett didn’t show)
Photo: South East London Mercury
26 March 1966 – Time Box, The Raisins and King Ossie Sounds
1 April 1966 – Don Covay and King Ossie Sounds
8 April 1966 – Jimmy Cliff (backed by New Generation?) with The Raisons, King Ossie Sound and Duke Reid
9 April 1966 – The New Jump Band with The King Ossie Sound
10 April 1966 – Don Covey with The King Ossie Sound
11 April 1966 – Owen Gray and Jackie Edwards with The Raisons and King Ossie Sound
22 May 1966 – The Charmers (with Carl Douglas)
11 June 1966 – Carl Douglas & The Charmers
18 June 1966 – The Partizans
4 August 1966 – Jimmy Cliff
2 September 1966 – The James Royal Set
24 September 1966 – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
1 October 1966 – Timebox
15 November 1966 – The Iveys
6 January 1967 – Duke Lee
7 January 1967 – The Soul Trinity
13 January 1967 – Duke Lee
14 January 1967 – The Mellow Notes
20 January 1967 – Duke Lee
21 January 1967 – Ossie Layne & The Red Hot Band
4 March 1967 – Alan Marsh(all) & The Loose Ends
Sources:
Southeast London Mercury, Marmalade Skies website, Melody Maker and poster
Located at 15 Perry Vale, the Glenlyn Ballroom in Forest Hill, Southeast London was a popular venue for Mods in the early-to-mid 1960s.
The Who were regulars in the 1963-1964 period when they were known as The Detours and The High Numbers. Bobby King & The Sabres were also a resident band at the club throughout the mid-1960s.
I’ve started a list of artists that were advertised and would welcome any additions/corrections as well as any memories of the venue. I would also welcome any posters/band photos and will credit them accordingly.
1961
17 November 1961 – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
1963
13 September 1963 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
4 October 1963 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
11 October 1963 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
2 November 1963 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
7 November 1963 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
16 November 1963 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
23 November 1963 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
Thanks to Clive Chase for sending the photo
6 December 1963 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
Poster suggests Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers played on 6 December
7 December 1963 – The Hollies with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
13 December 1963 – Bobby King & The Sabres with The Federals (Clive Chase’s gig diary/poster/Beat Monthly)
Poster suggests only The Federals played on this date
20 December 1963 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
Poster suggests The Flintstones played on 20 December
21 December 1963 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
27 December 1963 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
28 December 1963 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
1964
3 January 1964 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
Pete Carter says The Rolling Stones played on 3 January 1964 – see comments section below
17 January 1964 – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Beat Monthly) Needs confirmation
18 January 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres with Bern Elliott & The Fenmen (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
24 January 1964 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
John Warburg says The Hollies also performed on 24 January
31 January 1964 – The Detours (became The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
1 February 1964 – The Brian Auger Trinity with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
7 February 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Tin Pan Alley Ball) (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
14 February 1964 – The Detours (or now called The Who) (Andy Neill’s research)
17 February 1964 – The Searchers (Beat Monthly) Needs confirmation
21 February 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres with Bridget Bond & The Hysterics (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
6 March 1964 – The Paramounts with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
7 March 1964 – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
16 March 1964 – The Who (Andy Neill’s research)
21 March 1964 – The Hollies with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
23 March 1964 – The Who (Andy Neill’s research)
27 March 1964 – Graham Bond Organisation with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
3 April 1964 – The Who (this month they change name to The High Numbers) (Andy Neill’s research)
4 April 1964 – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
6 April 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
10 April 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
13 April 1964 – Cilla Black with Sounds Incorporated and The Tridents (Paul Lucas’ gig diary)
This was before Jeff Beck joined The Tridents on lead guitar
17 April 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres with The Redcaps (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
20 April 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
24 April 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
27 April 1964 – The Tridents (John and Paul Lucas’ gig diary)
Jeff Beck didn’t join on lead guitar until early September.
2 May 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
4 May 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
8 May 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
11 May 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
15 May 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
16 May 1964 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
18 May 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
25 May 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
29 May 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres with The High Numbers (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
1 June 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
6 June 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
8 June 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
15 June 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
19 June 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres with Shorty & Them (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
22 June 1964 – The High Numbers (Andy Neill’s research)
26 June 1964 – Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)
27 June 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
29 June 1964 – The High Numbers (revert back to The Who in November) (Andy Neill’s research)
10 July 1964 – The Hollies with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
18 July 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
31 July 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres with Geno Washington (most likely with Les Blues) (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
8 August 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
21 August 1964 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
29 August 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
4 September 1964 – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
18 September 1964 – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
19 September 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
2 October 1964 – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary) Beat Instrumental suggests that The Undertakers may have played here on this date but needs confirmation
3 October 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
12 October 1964 – The Tridents (Paul Lucas’ gig diary)
Jeff Beck was lead guitarist with The Tridents by this point
16 October 1964 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
26 October 1964 – The Yardbirds (Beat Instrumental) Needs confirmation
30 October 1964 – The Brian Auger Trinity with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
6 November 1964 – The Hollies with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
I have The Graham Bond Organisation for 6 November but this may have been a different date
20 November 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres with The Federals (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
21 November 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
27 November 1964 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
4 December 1964 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
Bobby King & The Sabres. Photo: Clive Chase
1965
8 January 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
16 January 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
22 January 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
30 January 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
12 February 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
20 February 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
26 February 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
6 March 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
19 March 1965 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
27 March 1965 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
2 April 1965 – The Brian Auger Trinity with Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
Chislehurst Caves in the south eastern suburbs of London is a 22 miles long series of tunnels. During the 1960s, the caves were used as a music venue and many notable artists played there, including David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, to name a few.
I have started to compile a list of artists that played and would welcome any additions. Also, I would welcome any memories of the caves from that period.
Photo: Kent Messenger, 20 March 1964, page 4
14 March 1964 – The Lonely Ones, The Corvettes, The Maniacs, The Outcasts, The Rockabeats and Band Seven (Kent Messenger)
Gig in Melody Maker, 30 March 1963
14 May 1965 (Friday) – The Epitaph Souls, The Forerunners, Danny & The Torinos, The Two Squared, The Great Expectations, Hamilton King’s Blues Messengers and Brian Something and The What’s Its (Melody Maker)
11 February 1966 (Friday) – The Downliners Sect (South East London Mercury) (opened the caves as a music venue)
25 February 1966 (Friday) – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band (South East London Mercury)
4 March 1966 (Friday) – David Bowie & The Buzz (South East London Mercury)
11 March 1966 (Friday) – The Loose Ends (South East London Mercury)
18 March 1966 (Friday) – Deacon Lewis (South East London Mercury)
8 April 1966 (Friday) – The Graham Bond Organisation (South East London Mercury and Melody Maker)
29 April 1966 (Friday) – Them (Melody Maker)
6 May 1966 (Friday) – The Pretty Things (Melody Maker)
20 May 1966 (Friday) – Brian Something and The What’s Its (Carl Ross’ gig diary)
1 July 1966 (Friday) – The Yardbirds (Record Mirror)
15 July 1966 (Friday) – The Action (Fabulous 208)
29 July 1966 (Friday) – The Action (Fabulous 208)
5 August 1966 (Friday) – The Graham Bond Organisation (Melody Maker)
28 October 1966 (Friday) – Brian Something and The What’s Its (Carl Ross’ gig diary)
16 December 1966 (Friday) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Melody Maker)
30 December 1966 (Friday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Melody Maker and Disc & Music Echo)
6 January 1967 (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
27 January 1967 (Friday) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (needs source but probably Melody Maker)
17 February 1967 (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
17 March 1967 (Friday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)
14 April 1967 (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
19 May 1967 (Friday) – Brian Something and The What’s Its (Carl Ross’ gig diary)
7 July 1967 (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
11 August 1967 (Friday) – The Nervous System (Melody Maker)
6 October 1967 (Friday) – Eric Burdon & The New Animals (Kathy Doughty’s memories – see comments below)
14 October 1967 (Saturday) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Fabulous 208)
10 November 1967 (Friday) – The Foundations (Melody Maker)
8 December 1967 (Friday) –Pink Floyd (possibly Melody Maker but might be South East London Mercury)
9 February 1968 (Friday) – The Herd (South East London Mercury)
Located at 3 Cromwell Road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, SW7, the Cromwellian Club was a notable London rock venue that was opened in late 1964 by entrepreneur Tony Mitchell and part owned and managed by Bob Archer, who later established the Pantiles club in Bagshot, Surrey. The club’s opening was reported in The Stage in its 8 October 1964 issue.
Brian Auger who played here with The Trinity claims that the Cromwellian is where Jimi Hendrix first jammed with his band after arriving in London in late September 1966, although others point to the Scotch of St James.
At its height in 1966-1967, it also hosted numerous jam sessions, featuring the likes of Chris Farlowe, Georgie Fame, Long John Baldry, Eric Burdon and Eric Clapton among others.
Like other exclusive clubs like Blaises and the Scotch of St James, the entrance fee was expensive and therefore catered less for music fans and more for the celebrities of the day and wealthy clientele.
The Cromwellian was rarely advertised in the music papers so it’s been difficult to find gigs. The list below is a start but I’d welcome any additions and corrections plus any photos of the venue and posters of advertised gigs as well as band photos (all credited accordingly).
1965
Although it’s not been possible to find exact dates the following musicians confirmed their bands played at the Cromwellian during 1965-1966:
Singer Jim Nairn (aka James Royal) says that James Royal & The Hawks and The James Royal Set played there throughout this period.
Tony Richard who drummed and sang with The Fetish Crowd says that his group performed there during 1965-1966.
Singer Alan Chamberlain says that The Just Four, which became The Guests, played at the venue in 1965-1966.
Guitarist/singer Stuart Cowell says he was working with Ralph Denyer’s Rockhouse Band when they performed at the Cromwellian in late 1965 before he left to join Gass.
Ray Lovegrove, who DJ’d at the venue, remembers seeing Stevie Wonder and also The Groundhogs at the club during 1965 when he was there. However, the Stevie Wonder gig could have been 26 January 1966 (see below).
The following list for 1965 is incomplete so I’d welcome additions:
Photo: Melody Maker
1 April 1965 (Thursday) – The Drifters (Melody Maker)
Photo: Melody Maker, 10 April 1965
5 June 1965 (Saturday) – The Soul Sisters (Melody Maker)
8 June 1965 (Tuesday) – Donnie Elbert (Melody Maker)
15 June 1965 (Tuesday) – Solomon Burke (Melody Maker)
23 June 1965 (Wednesday) – Doris Troy (Melody Maker)
Photo; Melody Maker
13 July 1965 (Tuesday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)
23 July 1965 (Friday) – Inez & Charlie Foxx (Melody Maker)
London Life magazine for the week 9-15 October, and for subsequent issues running to December 1966 when it closed, notes that several groups played each week.
20 October 1965 (Wednesday) – Dave Anthony’s Moods (Kevin Cann’s research – thanks to Andy Neill for sharing)
28 October 1965 (Thursday) – Dave Anthony’s Moods (Kevin Cann’s research – thanks to Andy Neill for sharing)
Photo: West Surrey Advertiser
Boz & The Boz People played at the Cromwellian sometime before 4 November, according to the West Surrey Advertiser (see pic)
4 November 1965 (Thursday) – Dave Anthony’s Moods (Kevin Cann’s research – thanks to Andy Neill for sharing)
11 November 1965 (Thursday) – The Mark Leeman Five (Kevin Cann’s research – thanks to Andy Neill for sharing)
22 November 1965 (Monday) – Wilson Pickett (Melody Maker)
2 December 1965 (Thursday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)
7 December 1965 (Tuesday) – Inez & Charlie Foxx (Melody Maker)
9 December 1965 (Thursday) – The Mark Leeman Five (Kevin Cann’s research – thanks to Andy Neill for sharing)
10 December 1965 (Friday) – The Beatstalkers (Kevin Cann’s research – thanks to Andy Neill for sharing)
13 December 1965 (Monday) – The Beatstalkers (Kevin Cann’s research – thanks to Andy Neill for sharing)
14 December 1965 (Tuesday) – The Nite People (Barry Curtis’ gig diary – thanks to John Warburg for sharing)
15 December 1965 (Wednesday) – Major Lance (Melody Maker/Record Mirror) Melody Maker had Wednesday originally but it was later amended to the day after
16 December 1965 (Thursday) – Major Lance and Bluesology (Melody Maker)
Elton John (then known as Reg Dwight) was Bluesology’s keyboard player.
Photo: Record Mirror
20 December 1965 (Monday) – Joe Tex (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)
1966
Although it’s not been possible to find exact dates the following musicians confirmed their bands played at the Cromwellian during 1966:
Keyboard player Stan Marut, who worked with Julian Covey & The Machine from late 1965-mid-1966 says the group had a regular Saturday night residency at the club in early 1966 (and also possibly late 1965 when John McVie was briefly a member when Jack Bruce filled his spot in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers). He remembers Sands were playing at the venue around the same time.
According to Chris Groom’s excellent book “Rockin’ and Around Croydon”, Croydon group The Kingpins played at the Cromwellian in early 1966.
Singer Alan Chamberlain says that The Guests played at the venue during 1966 (possibly with The Shevelles).
Jim Nairn (aka James Royal) says The James Royal Set played at the club this year.
Guitarist Frank Torpey, who later became an original member of The Sweet, confirms his group The Tribe played at the Cromwellian (most likely this year and possibly also 1967).
Guitarist Jim Cregan says that Blossom Toes performed at the venue (but this might have been 1967).
Ray Brown, who played bass with Jeff Curtis & The Flames from mid-1965 to late 1967 when they became The Kool, says that the band played at the Cromwellian a few times, most likely in 1966 (but also possibly early 1967).
Drummer Rocky Browne confirms that The Summer Set had a weekly residence at the Cromwellian during 1966.
Drummer Tony Richard says The Fetish Crowd played at the club during 1966.
The following list for 1966 is incomplete so I’d welcome additions:
4 January 1966 (Tuesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
11 January 1966 (Tuesday) – Pattie La Belle & The Bluebells with Bluesology (Melody Maker)
Elton John (then known as Reg Dwight) was Bluesology’s keyboard player.
13 January 1966 (Thursday) – The Exciters (Record Mirror)
Record Mirror originally billed this show for 19 January.
19 January 1966 (Wednesday) – Lee Dorsey (Record Mirror)
Melody Maker and Record Mirror originally had The Exciters on this date but Lee Dorsey replaced them.
Record Mirror also listed this for 31 January so this may not have happened. Dorsey was most likely backed by The Krew featuring sax player Howie Casey. I also have The Sidewinders, so probably shared. They were back the following Wednesday to back Stevie Wonder.
26 January 1966 (Wednesday) – Stevie Wonder (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)
Stevie Wonder was backed by The Sidewinders (confirmed by drummer Malcolm Penn).
31 January 1966 (Monday) – Lee Dorsey (Melody Maker, Record Mirror and Rave Magazine)
Lee Dorsey was most certainly backed by The Krew.
5 February 1966 (Saturday) – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
This was 2-6am on the Sunday morning after a show at the Glenlyn Ballroom in Forest Hill on the Saturday night. Chase says The Searchers came in and watched them.
9 February 1966 (Wednesday) – Doris Troy (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)
Melody Maker and Record Mirror lists Rufus Thomas for 16 February. Steampacket did perform at the Cromwellian and it’s possible that Rufus Thomas shared the billing or even backed him. Rod Stewart co-fronted Steampacket with Long John Baldry and Julie Driscoll.
19 February 1966 (Saturday) – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
23 February 1966 (Wednesday) – Ben E King (Melody Maker, Record Mirror and Rave Magazine)
25 February 1966 (Friday) – The Nite People (Barry Curtis’ gig diary – thanks to John Warburg for sharing)
2 March 1966 (Wednesday) – Solomon Burke (Melody Maker/Record Mirror)
3 March 1966 (Thursday) – Episode Six (Brian Long’s research)
Future Deep Purple members Ian Gillan and Roger Glover were members.
5 March 1966 (Saturday) – Julian Covey & The Machine (needs confirmation)
10 March 1966 (Thursday) – Episode Six (Brian Long’s research)
12 March 1966 (Saturday) – Julian Covey & The Machine (needs confirmation)
19 March 1966 (Saturday) – Julian Covey & The Machine (needs confirmation)
Cromwellian, London, March 1966. Photo: Melody Maker
26 March 1966 (Saturday) – Julian Covey & The Machine (Melody Maker)
1 April 1966 (Friday) – The Sidewinders (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary)
5 May 1966 (Thursday) – Betty Everett (Record Mirror)
Christopher Hjort’s excellent book “Strange Brew: Eric Clapton & The British Blues Boom 1965-1970” notes that Eric Clapton attended the Cromwellian on 9 May after a gig at the Star Hotel in Croydon with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
The 9 May marks the inception of SLAGS (Society of Looning Alcoholic Guitarists) whose members include Jeff Beck, Stevie Winwood, Vic Briggs, Pete Townshend, Steve Marriott, Andy Somers, Alan Roskams and Dave Wendels. The members will meet regularly at the Cromwellian.
In early June Melody Maker prints a “Guide to Good Raving” which lists the “in” clubs of the London scene. The Cromwellian is featured and the magazine notes that Gary Farr & The T-Bones, The Mark Leeman Five, Dave Anthony’s Moods, The Shevelles, Sands and The Peter B’s (actually The Shotgun Express) have recently played at the venue (performing until 2am).
10 June 1966 (Friday) – Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
According to the Nottingham Evening Post, The Five Proud Walkers who play at the Beachcomber Club on 18 June came from the Cromwellian.
According to the Southern Evening Echo (Southampton), The Move, who play the Adam & Eve in Southampton on 12 July, came from the Cromwellian (see above)
According to the Nottingham Evening Post, The Cromwellians who play at the Beachcomber Club on 23 July came from the Cromwellian.
Photo: London Life magazine
27 July 1966 (Wednesday) – The Shevelles (Fabulous 208)
Bass player Dave Aldhouse says his band The Zig Zags played the club, possibly twice, in the summer of 1966.
The Eyes of Blue, who have won Melody Maker’s National Beat Contest, celebrate with a party at the club on 7 August. Eric Clapton, Alan Price, Chris Farlowe and others attend.
According to the Nottingham Evening Post, The Coletrane Union, who play at the Britannia Rowing Club on 13 August came from the Cromwellian
According to this Moody Blues site, John Lodge’s band The Question were regulars at the Cromwellian during August/September 1966 before he took up the bass slot in The Moody Blues in October.
31 August 1966 (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
20 September 1966 (Tuesday) – Dave Anthony’s Moods (Melody Maker)
Guitarist Tim Large says that Dave Anthony’s Moods had a regular Wednesday night gig at the Cromwellian but the gigs in September are Tuesday nights.
21 September 1966 (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker and Fabulous 208)
27 September 1966 (Tuesday) – Dave Anthony’s Moods (Melody Maker)
According to this site, Brian Auger was playing at the Cromwellian on a Friday night and had invited Jimi Hendrix to sit in with his band at this venue earlier in the week. Auger insists that this was the first place that Hendrix jammed with his band.
However, Auger did play at Blaises on Thursday, 29 September and Hendrix did sit in on that occasion, having arrived in the UK on Thursday, 22 September. According to Vic Briggs (and other sources), Hendrix also turned up and jammed with the band at the Scotch of St James on Wednesday, 28 September.
8 October 1966 (Saturday) – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
11 October 1966 (Tuesday) – The Shevelles (Fabulous 208)
It has been noted that The Paul Butterfield Blues Band jammed with Cream at the Cromwellian on 19 October (the alternative location was the Scotch of St James). However, according to Christopher Hjort’s excellent book on the British blues boom, “Strange Brew”, Cream are playing at the Blue Moon in Cheltenham this evening.
22 October 1966 (Saturday) – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
2 November 1966 (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
Photo: London Life magazine
16 November 1966 (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
18 November 1966 (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
According to Disc & Music Echo’s 26 November issue, Eric Burdon, Chas Chandler and Bill Wyman attended the club on this date.
30 November 1966 (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
According to Bruno Ceriotti, Bluesology (featuring Reg Dwight aka Elton John) played at the Cromwellian regularly during December 1966, which is where Long John Baldry saw them and took them on as his new backing group.
7 December 1966 (Wednesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
14 December 1966 (Wednesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
According to Disc & Music Echo, The Magic Lanterns visited the club the week starting 19 December but it is not clear whether they performed or just attended.
24 December 1966 (Saturday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
1967
According to Disc & Music Echo, Ray Hunter and Paul Lincoln, who had previously run The Two I’s Coffee Bar in Soho, co-ran the Cromwellian this year.
Rob Tolchard says his band Sands played the Cromwellian in January where they were spotted by Brian Epstein who hired them for his Saville Theatre show on 5 February.
Bass player Bruce Usherwood says The Warren Davis Monday Band performed at the venue several times between December 1966 and February 1967 just before they signed with Columbia Records.
The Warren Davis Monday Band’s guitarist Rob Walker concurs and notes that one of the gigs was when the band was called The Boardwalkers.
Disc & Music Echo, 14 January 1967 issue, talks about Georgie Fame’s fiancé Carmen’s 21st birthday fancy dress party, which was held at the venue on 8 January. The guests include Jane Asher, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Georgie Fame.
The following list for 1967 is incomplete so I’d welcome additions:
17 January 1967 (Tuesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
28 January 1967 (Saturday) – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
Disc & Music Echo reported that Del Shannon, Johnny Rivers, Edwin Starr and Dave Davies of The Kinks were guests at the club during the week starting 30 January.
According to Martyn Hanson’s excellent book Hang on to a Dream: The Story of the Nice, Lee Jackson was part of the house band at the Cromwellian, The House of Usher during February and March 1967.
2 February 1967 (Thursday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)
6 February 1967 (Monday) – The Web with John L Watson (Melody Maker)
9 February 1967 (Thursday) – Long John Baldry & Bluesology (Fabulous 208)
11 February 1967 (Saturday) – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s gig diary)
Bobby King & The Sabres perform from 2am to 6am after playing at the Greenford Hotel, Greenford, west London on the Saturday night, so this would probably be the early hours of the Sunday, 12 February.
20 February 1967 (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)
23 February 1967 (Thursday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
25 February 1967 (Saturday) – The Good Time Losers (needs confirmation)
The Good Time Losers had a residency at the club around about now, according to Melody Maker. Disc & Music Echo reported that they were managed by the club. Pretty certain it was a Saturday but needs confirmation.
4 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Good Time Losers (needs confirmation)
11 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Good Time Losers (needs confirmation)
18 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Good Time Losers (needs confirmation)
25 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Good Time Losers (needs confirmation)
3 April 1967 (Monday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
8 April 1967 (Saturday) – Prince Buster & The Bees (Disc & Music Echo)
12 April 1967 (Wednesday) – Ben E King (Disc & Music Echo)
Disc & Music Echo report that Tom Jones attended. This may have been 5 April so needs confirmation
14 April 1967 (Friday) – Motivation with The James Garnet Soul and Roll Band (Swindon Advertiser) (cancelled)
Motivation (featuring future Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre) are advertised to play the venue. Keyboard player Mick Ketley says they did play the Cromwellian. However, sax player Chris Rodger confirms they were in Italy until mid-May before returning home so this didn’t happen.
16 April 1967 (Sunday) – Disc and Music Echo says that The Bee Gees hold a reception at the club today
18 April 1967 (Tuesday) – Bo Diddley with The Canadians (Melody Maker)
The Canadians feature future producer and music executive David Foster on keyboards.
Disc & Music Echo’s 22 April issue says that US actress Jayne Mansfield attended the Cromwellian the previous Tuesday but the date might have been 11 April instead.
Drummer Phil Wainman, who later produced The Sweet and was playing with Jack Hammer & The Hammer Jammers in May 1967, says Jack Hammer played at the club, which would have most likely been this month.
1 May 1967 (Monday) – Prince Buster & The Bees (Melody Maker, Fabulous 208 and Disc & Music Echo)
4 May 1967 (Thursday) – The Web with John L Watson (Melody Maker)
8 May 1967 (Monday) – Prince Buster & The Bees (Record Mirror)
Photo: Melody Maker
15 May 1967 (Monday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
17 May 1967 (Wednesday) – The Web (Melody Maker)
22 May 1967 (Monday) – The Web (Melody Maker)
24 May 1967 (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
26 May 1967 (Friday) – Tuesday’s Children (Fabulous 208)
27 May 1967 (Saturday) – Tuesday’s Children (Fabulous 208)
29 July 1967 (Saturday) – Tuesday’s Children (Fabulous 208)
31 July 1967 (Monday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
9 August 1967 (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
16 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Marmalade (Fabulous 208)
According to Disc & Music Echo’s 16 September issue, Long John Baldry keeps fit by running up the club’s stairs. Does this imply that he performed here with Bluesology during September?
1968
Guitarist/singer Paul Brett says that he played this venue during 1968, which was probably with Tintern Abbey but could have been with Elmer Gantry and/or Fire.
Drummer Paul Maher says that Jo Jo Gunne performed at the venue (possibly this year and/or 1969).
The following list for 1968 is incomplete so I’d welcome additions.
Judging by the dates below in January and February, it looks like jazz bands played on Mondays.
4 January 1968 (Thursday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)
Mike Eastman notes in his diary that his band Katch 22 played on 4 January.
8 January 1968 (Monday) – Bill Nile’s Delta Jazzmen (Melody Maker)
Photo: Melody Maker
10 January 1968 (Wednesday) – The Web featuring John L Watson (Melody Maker)
11 January 1968 (Thursday) – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
12 January 1968 (Friday) – Garnet Mimms (Melody Maker)
15 January 1968 (Monday) – The Red Onion Jazz Band (Melody Maker)
17 January 1968 (Wednesday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
18 January 1968 (Thursday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
19 January 1968 (Friday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
22 January 1968 (Monday) – Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen (Melody Maker)
23 January 1968 (Tuesday) – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
24 January 1968 (Wednesday) – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
Photo: Melody Maker
25 January 1968 (Thursday) – Tuesday’s Children (Melody Maker and Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
26 January 1968 (Friday) – Jigsaw (Melody Maker)
29 January 1968 (Monday) – Spencer’s Washboard Kings (Melody Maker)
30 January 1968 (Tuesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound and Lucas (Melody Maker)
31 January 1968 (Wednesday) – Wee Willie Harris and The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
1 February 1968 (Thursday) – The Web featuring John L Watson (Melody Maker)
Mike Eastman notes in his diary that his band Katch 22 played on 1 February.
2 February 1968 (Friday) – Clyde McPhatter and The Trend (Melody Maker)
5 February 1968 (Monday) – Alex Welsh & His Jazz Band (Melody Maker)
6 February 1968 (Tuesday) – Wishful Thinking (Melody Maker)
23 August 1968 (Friday) – Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)
24 August 1968 (Saturday) – Scrugg (Melody Maker and Jack Russell’s gig diary)
27 August 1968 (Tuesday) – Timebox (Melody Maker and Fabulous 208)
28 August 1968 (Wednesday) – Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)
30 August 1968 (Friday) – Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)
Photo: Melody Maker
31 August 1968 (Saturday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
6 September 1968 (Friday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)
Photo: Melody Maker
7 September 1968 (Saturday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
14 September 1968 (Saturday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
16 September 1968 (Monday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
17 September 1968 (Tuesday) – Little John & The Shaddocks (Melody Maker)
18 September 1968 (Wednesday) – Timebox (Melody Maker)
19 September 1968 (Thursday) – Katch 22 (Melody Maker and Mike Eastman’s gig diary)
21 September 1968 (Saturday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)
19 October 1968 (Saturday) – The Maddening Crowd (Melody Maker)
16 November 1968 (Saturday) – The Maddening Crowd (Melody Maker)
21 November 1968 (Thursday) – The Nite People (Melody Maker)
5 December 1968 (Thursday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)
19 December 1968 (Thursday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)
1969
Sax player Geoff Glover says his band The All Night Workers played at the Cromwellian when Clyde Barrow took over lead vocals from Iain Pitwell, which would have been from early 1969.
Guitarist/violinist Mike Piggott says that his band Gass played here during 1969/1970.
The following list for 1969 is incomplete so I’d welcome additions:
20 January 1969 (Monday) – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)
8 February 1969 (Saturday) – The Maddening Crowd (Melody Maker)
1 March 1969 (Saturday) – The Maddening Crowd (Melody Maker)
3 November 1969 (Monday) – Sky (Melody Maker)
10 November 1969 (Monday) – She Trinity (Melody Maker)
The Beat Syndicate, circa 1965, from left: Tony (the drummer), Jim Newton, John Maskell, John (the bassist) and Mick George
John Maskell wrote to me about his group the Beat Syndicate and sent in the great promotional photo seen here. Has anyone come across their unreleased demo?
I was a vocalist for a group called The Beat Syndicate.
Attached is a photo of the group circa 1965. From the left, Tony the drummer, Jim Newton the rhythm guitarist, John Maskell, John the bassist and Mick George the lead guitarist. I am afraid I cannot recall two of the surnames of two that are mentioned.
On 25 September 1965 we appeared at the Cellar Club supporting The Nashville Teens. Arriving about 7 pm we started the show at 7.30 pm. We played on and then had a 15 minute break, when we were informed the Teens had been fog bound in Manchester where they were recording Top of the Pop’s. We were asked to play on to keep the show going as they were not sure what time the star act was going to arrive. Two guys who had left Screaming Lord Sutch’s group to form The Plebs, Danny McCulloch and Derek Sirmon gave our drummer and bassist a break. We eventually finished at just after midnight and the Teens went on at 12.30 am..
We won a beat competition at Coronation Gardens Leytonstone, where we were based, and were given a recording test at Pye studios. Alan A. Freeman was the producer. We recorded a song that the lead guitarist and I wrote with a standard on the B side. The record was never released and I lent my copy to an agent who said he would get me some work after I left the Beat Syndicate but I never saw him or my disc again.
There were two recording sessions one at Pye Studios, the single and one recorded at Leytonstone Library, early one Sunday morning. We recorded three tracks for the second recording, these were the numbers performed that won us the beat competition at Coronation Gardens, Leyton which was compiled on an L.P. with all the other entrants performances. This was pressed by a company called the Audiophonic Recording Co and discs were distributed by Leyton Electric Company. Unfortunately for me I was never told of the existence of the disc which I would have purchased had I known. I found most of this information contacting ex members of groups who were in the competitions around that time.
I left The Beat Syndicate rather acrimoniously, as at the time of the Pye test we were given a contract to tour professionally, however the rest of the band turned the opportunity down. I was a bit miffed as I thought that was what we were in the music business for, to progress to professionals. The band carried on for a couple of years and disbanded some time in 1968.
Disillusioned, I didn’t pursue my singing career any further, but I have sung with the odd band or two in recent years.
Previously in 1963, I had been with a group called Johnny & the Bobcats, we changed the name to Group 004 + 1 after a while.We were based in Tottenham, North London and had a residency at the White Swan for about a year or so. We had success supporting groups such as Georgie Fame, The Kinks, The Paramounts and Gene Vincent & the Shouts to name a few.
Ram Jam Band, late 1968. Top, left to right: Buddy Beadle, Hans Herbert, Geno Washington, Keith O’Connell and Rod Baby Bottom, left to right: Steve Gregory, Pete Carney and John Culley. Photo courtesy of Buddy Beadle.
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (August 1968)
Geno Washington – lead vocals Dave Greenslade – organ Dave Tedstone – lead guitar, vocals Peter Carney – bass, vocals Lionel ‘Rocky’ Kingham – tenor saxophone Buddy Beadle – baritone saxophone Pat Higgs – trumpet Colin Davey – drums
During May 1968 Geno Washington went to Madrid on his own and played at the Stones Club with Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede.
Back in the UK, during mid-August, he fired guitarist John Culley and trumpet player Pat Higgs while drummer Hans Herbert went into hospital for a hernia operation. Washington then put together a new formation around the surviving members.
Guitarist Dave Tedstone had a long pedigree, having worked with Herefordshire bands, Lee Starr & The Astrals and The Doc Thomas Group before joining Freddy Mack in London in April 1967. By early 1968, he was playing with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds with original Ram Jam members John Roberts and Herb Prestidge. Colin Davey had played drums with Tedstone in Freddy Mack’s band in 1967 and had also briefly played with Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede before that.
Original sax player Buddy Beadle returned after working with The Amboy Dukes, who’d shared the bill with The Ram Jam Band on numerous occasions.
The new line up recorded a three-hour BBC Radio 1 session at Maida Vale in late August. With Greenslade taking the lead as musical director, the group (with a session bass player) cut five tracks, including the old blues staple, “Rock Me Baby”, a cover of The Rolling Stones’ recent single “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” plus “Hi Heel Sneakers” and “Holdin’ On (With Both Hands)”, which were later picked up by collectors’ label Acid Jazz for a compilation EP.
Producer John Schroeder, however, was not happy with the new direction and with a live album lined up for August the new line up proved to be short-lived. Gigs were few and far between and while all of this was going on, Dave Greenslade began rehearsing with his new band, Colosseum.
Selected gigs (NME lists the following as the ones that Dave Tedstone line-up played):
10 August 1968 – Brighton Festival, Brighton, West Sussex
12 August 1968 – Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hants
15 August 1968 – Locarno, Bristol, Avon (Portsmouth News has Brave New World, Southsea, Hants)
16 August 1968 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with The Emotions
17 August 1968 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
Melody Maker’s 13 July 1968 issue, page 4, reports that the group will leave on 21 August for five days of TV and radio appearances on the Spanish Costa Brava but it doesn’t look like this happened with the dates below.
23-24 August 1968 – Scene Two Discotheque, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
27 August 1968 – Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn, Wales with The Informers (this is missing from NME list above so may be another month)
30 August 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire with Toast (this may have been done by next line up)
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (August 1968-September 1968)
Geno Washington – lead vocals John ‘Silkie’ Culley – lead guitar Dave Greenslade – organ Peter Carney – bass, vocals Lionel ‘Rocky’ Kingham – tenor saxophone Buddy Beadle – baritone saxophone Hans Herbert – drums
In the last week of August, Dave Tedstone left to re-join Jimmy James & The Vagabonds. He later contributed recording sessions for Cartoone’s second album and then joined Tom Jones’s band, The Squires. In 1970, Tedstone joined Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers, reuniting with Buddy Beadle. The group cut an unreleased album at Trident Studios. John Culley resumed the guitar spot.
Colin Davey also departed at this point to join Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and Hans Herbert returned. However, Buddy Beadle remained; Pat Higgs did not return.
The revised line up cut a lone single, “Bring It To Me Baby” c/w “I Can’t Let You Go” (Pye 7N 17649), which was released in November 1968.
Selected gigs:
31 August 1968 – Leas Cliffe Hall, Folkestone, Kent
1 September 1968 – Bank Holiday Bluesology Festival, Chateau Impney, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire with The Move, Fleetwood Mac, Freddie Mack, Chris Farlowe, Wynder K Frogg, Family and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
1 September 1968 – Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire
1 September 1968 – Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham
2 September 1968 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire
7 September 1968 – Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with The Soul Difference
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (September 1968-December 1968)
Geno Washington – lead vocals John ‘Silkie’ Culley – lead guitar Keith O’Connell – organ Peter Carney – bass, vocals Buddy Beadle – baritone saxophone Steve Gregory – tenor saxophone Rod Baby – trumpet Hans Herbert – drums
In early September, Dave Greenslade formally departed to play with his new band, Colosseum. Longstanding member Lionel Kingham also departed and later worked with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds before doing sessions for Henry McCullough and Geoff Muldaur among others.
With Greenslade gone, the band recruited Manchester musician, Keith O’Connell, who’d played with local groups The Raging Storms and Glass Menagerie.
Beadle recommended his former band mate from The Amboy Dukes, Steve Gregory, who’d played with The Alan Price Set before that. The band also added trumpet player Rod Baby.
Selected gigs:
13 September 1968 – Mayfair, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with The Idle Race
14 September 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
27 September 1968 – Church Elm, Discotheque, Dagenham, London with supporting group (confirmed by Jim Smith)
27 September 1968 – Falkirk Town Hall, Falkirk, Scotland with The Brian Marshall Foundation and Absolute (Herbert recalls that Geno got laryngitis during one of the Scottish tours and he had to cover lead vocals from the drum kit. This date was probably 28 September)
28 September 1968 – Ayr Ice Rink, Ayr, Scotland with Vanity Fayre and supporting groups
29 September 1968 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland with The Shadettes (also played Maryland Ballroom, Glasgow around this time)
30 September 1968 – The Beach, Aberdeen, Scotland
4 October 1968 – Top Rank, Leicester
7 October 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire
11 October 1968 – Salford University, Salford, Greater Manchester
12 October 1968 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
15 October 1968 – Top Rank, High Wycombe, Bucks
17 October 1968 – RAF Hollyhead, Anglesey
18 October 1968 – Bridge Place Country Club, Bridge near Canterbury, Kent
19 October 1968 – The College, Chester, Cheshire
21 October 1968 – Top Rank, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
2 November 1968 – The Swan, Yardley, West Midlands with Jigsaw
2 November 1968 – George Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire
15 November 1968 – Romanos, Belfast, Northern Ireland with The Sands
16 November 1968 – New Arcadia, Bray, Republic of Ireland with The Trixons
22 November 1968 – Leicester College of Education, Leicester
23 November 1968 – Chelmsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex with Apricot Brande
25 November 1968 –Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales
28 November 1968 – Top Rank, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
6 December 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
12 December 1968 – Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions, Mr Poobah’s Chicago Line, Georgia Quintet
20-21 December 1968 – Scene Two, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
22 December 1968 – Top Rank Suite, Birmingham, West Midlands
24 December 1968 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, Essex with Ruby James & The Trifle and The Purple Dream
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (December 1968-April 1969)
Geno Washington – lead vocals John ‘Silkie’ Culley – lead guitar Keith O’Connell – organ Peter Carney – bass, vocals Buddy Beadle – baritone saxophone Steve Gregory – tenor saxophone Rod Baby – trumpet Malcolm Wolffe – drums
Hans Herbert did not stay long on his return. After leaving Geno Washington he worked with country-rock bands Jamie’s People and Lincoln Park Inn among others.
Malcolm Wolffe, who’d previously played with The Tribe and then Happy Magazine took his place.
Selected gigs:
4 January 1969 – Whitchurch Town Hall, Whitchurch, Wales with Shady Lane and The Antix (Saturday)
17 January 1969 – Central Pier, Morecombe, Lancashire
18 January 1969 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
20 January 1969 – St Matthew’s Hall, Ipswich
25 January 1969 – Bradford University, Bradford, West Yorkshire
25 January 1969 – Gaeity Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
26 January 1969 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham
29 January 1969 – Oldham College of Further Education, Oldham, Lancashire
30 January 1969 – Riverton Barn, Bolton, Lancashire
31 January 1969 – Locarno Ballroom, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear with Cupid’s Inspiration
2-10 February 1969 – Showboat Variety Club, Middlesbrough
12 February 1969 – Top Rank Ballroom, Cardiff, Wales
13 February 1969 – Locarno Ballroom, Coventry, West Midlands
15 February 1969 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
23 February 1969 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland with Alan Jordan & The KB Showband
3 March 1969 – Ice Rink, Liverpool
5 March 1969 – Winter Gardens, Morecambe, Lancashire with Spooky Tooth, Jon Hiseman’s Coliseum and Patents Pending
7 March 1969 – College Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire
8 March 1969 – Music Hall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
12 March 1969 – Skyline Ballroom, Hull, Humberside
14 March 1969 – Public Baths, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
15 March 1969 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire
16 March 1969 – Pop World ’69, Empire Pool, Wembley, Middlesex with Fleetwood Mac, Amen Corner, The Move, The Gun, Barry Ryan and others
21 March 1969 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London
23 March 1969 – Railway Hotel, Wealdstone, London
5 April 1969 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland with Alan Jordan & The KB Showband and The Shadettes
7 April 1969 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Revolver
18 April 1969 – Kinema Ballroom, Stranraer, Scotland with Systems Go Most likely date for John Culley’s final gig
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (April 1969-September 1969)
Geno Washington – lead vocals Keith Field – lead guitar, vocals Keith O’Connell – organ Peter Carney – bass, vocals Buddy Beadle – baritone saxophone Steve Gregory – tenor saxophone Malcolm Wolffe – drums
John Culley departed after a Scottish tour in March-April 1969, playing his final gig in Stranraer (see above). After working in the Ivory Coast with The Crazy Fingers, he joined Cressida in 1970 and later played with Black Widow. Rod Baby departed at the same time.
Guitarist Keith Field, formerly with The Blue Aces, and, more significantly, Ferris Wheel, took over from John Culley after cutting a solo single, “The Day That War Broke Out” c/w “Stop! Thief” for Polydor in September 1968.
The new line up recorded a lone single, “My Little Chickadee” c/w “Seven Eleven” (Pye 7N 17745), which was released in June 1969.
Selected gigs:
April 1969 – Gigs in Netherlands (according to Billboard)
25 April 1969 – White Lion, Edgware, London
26 April 1969 – Winning Post Hotel, Twickenham, London
29 April 1969 – Blackout, Zurich Airport, Switzerland
Source: Neue Zürcher Nachrichten, Volume 65, Number 96
20 May 1969 – Bradford University, Bradford, West Yorkshire with The Idle Race, The Honeybus, Clouds and others
23 May 1969 – Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester
24 May 1969 – The Pavilion, Buxton, Derbyshire
26 May 1969 – Skegness Seaside Soul Festival, Skegness, Lincolnshire with Amen Corner, Inez & Charlie Foxx, The Fantastics and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
30 May 1969 – Newmarket Discotheque, Bridgwater, Somerset
31 May 1969 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Tract and Virgin Hearse
June 1969 – Scottish tour (includes gigs with Jo Jo Gunne and Three Dog Night)
13 June 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Sweet and Pedestrian Crossing
6 July 1969 – Citation Hotel, Perth, Scotland
6 July 1969 – Grand Hall, Kilmarnock, Scotland
8 July 1969 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon
11 July 1969 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset
13 July 1969 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex with Canterbury Tales
19 July 1969 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with supporting acts
19 July 1969 – Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (unlikely if Guildford date took place unless one is incorrect)
21 July 1969 – Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Roundabout with Wild Duncan and Syrian Blue
27 July 1969 – Start week at Fiesta, Stockton
August 1969 – Short tour of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland (around now)
5 August 1969 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon
9 August 1969 – Three-day Swedish tour starts (reported in Melody Maker)
29 August 1969 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire with The Zoo
1 September 1969 – Pop and Blues Festival, Pennycross Sports Stadium, Plymouth, Devon with Fleetwood Mac, The Move, Dave Amboy, Rod Mason Jass Band and The Nashville Teens
12 September 1969 – Rex Hotel, Whitley Bay with supporting group
20 September 1969 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Shy Limbs
The Coventry Evening Telegraph’s 29 September issue notes that Geno Washington has split from the group. The band were due to appear at Chesford Grange, Kenilworth tonight and were replaced by The Drifters.
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (October 1969-November 1970)
Geno Washington – lead vocals Alan Griffin – lead guitar, vocals Tom Duffy – bass, vocals Winston ???? – keyboards Tony Hall – tenor saxophone Brent Scott Carter – tenor saxophone Frank Charlton – trumpet Larry ???? – drums
The Ram Jam Band split with Washington after working at the Neago Club in Majorca in mid-late September 1969.
Beadle and Gregory would go on to play a multitude of sessions with artists as diverse as Ginger Baker’s Airforce, Babe Ruth, Bell & Arc, Chicken Shack, Andy Fairweather-Low, Alan Hull, Otis Spann, Suzi Quatro, Freddie King and Lindisfarne. They also became members of Gonzalez and recorded a string of albums in the 1970s.
NME announced in the week ending 4 October 1969 that Geno Washington had split from The Ram Jam Band and returned to The United States. Fabulous 208 magazine mentioned in its 25 October issue that the group had split in the same week as Amen Corner and The Marbles.
The singer duly returned from the United States this month and put together an entirely new version of The Ram Jam Band.
Tom Duffy came from Newcastle and had previously played with The Sect. The group’s new drummer was another American, from California. Alan Griffin had previously played with Croydon, south London band, The Subjects and then The Loose Ends and Cats Pyjamas.
Londoners Tony Hall and Brent Scott Carter both came in from Simon K & The Meantimers. Tony Hall had a long pedigree having previously worked with West London outfits, Peter Nelson & The Travellers, Peter’s Faces, Wainwright’s Gentlemen, The Flowerpot Men and Rupert’s Spoon.
Selected gigs:
1 November 1969 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with BZN and Heaven
29 November 1969 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
21 December 1969 – Top Rank Suite, Birmingham
24 December 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Candy Choir
29 January 1970 – Crescendo Club, Rex Hotel, Whitley Bay
5 February 1970 – Rebecca’s, Birmingham with Sonic Invaders
6 March 1970 – Carousel, Belfast, Northern Ireland with Derrick & Sounds
28 March 1970 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands
4 April 1970 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London
1 May 1970 – Flamingo, Ballymena, Northern Ireland
2 May 1970 – Romanos, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Possibly around this time keyboard Mick Fletcher joined from The Amboy Dukes. He had previously worked with groups like Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation, Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and The Rifle. He remembers the band working in Benidorm, Spain.
24 July 1970 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with Tension
14 August 1970 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon
25 September 1970 – Oakengates Town Hall, Oakengates, Shropshire with Fluff and Amnesty
2 October 1970 – Fresher’s Ball, Liverpool Polytechnic Guild of Students, Liverpool with Stack Waddy
8 November 1970 – Up the Junction, Crewe, Cheshire
13 November 1970 – Ballerina Ballroom, Nairn, Scotland
14 December 1970 – Wall City, Chester, Cheshire with Satisfaction with Mike Cotton, Wall City Jazzmen
Around December 1970, Tom Duffy left and went on to record with Arc and Bell & Arc before playing and recording with Lindisfarne. Frank Charlton also left and later recorded with The Avant Gardeners.
Roger Flavell joined on bass after working with Grand Union (Bandwagon’s backing band) and Judd. Further personnel changes took place in early 1971 before the musicians broke away from Geno Washington.
Flavell subsequently played with The Tommy Hunt Band and recorded with The Byron Band among others. Brent Scott Carter later appeared on an album by Babe Ruth while Tony Hall did sessions for Dana Gillespie among others.
Selected gigs:
26 December 1970 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London
Sources include:Melody Maker, NME, Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Nottingham Evening Post, Fabulous 208, Kent Herald, Wrexham Leader, Berkhamsted Gazette, Birmingham Evening Mail, Southend Standard, Time Out, New Ross Standard, Wicklow People, Aberdeen Evening Express, Belfast Telegraph, Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle, Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Wells Journal, Liverpool Echo, Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, Cheshire Observer, Wigtownshire Free Press & Galloway Advertiser and Shropshire Journal.
Huge thanks to Peter Carney, John Culley, Dave Tedstone and Tony Hall for helping with line ups.
The Tiger’s Head was a popular music venue in Downham, Southeast London (near Catford and Bromley) during the 1960s. The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band played here many times during their early years. The gigs below are taken from the Southeast London Mercury.
I would welcome any additions or memories of this venue.
3 February 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
6 February 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
10 February 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
13 February 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
17 February 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
27 February 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
3 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
6 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
10 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
13 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
17 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
20 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
27 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
31 March 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
10 April 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
14 April 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Thursday)
17 April 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
24 April 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
29 April 1966 – The Anzaks (Friday)
1 May 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
7 May 1966 – Bill Seney & His Modern Jazz Band (Saturday)
8 May 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
15 May 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
22 May 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
29 May 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
5 June 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
12 June 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
19 June 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
26 June 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
3 July 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
10 July 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
17 July 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
24 July 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
30 July 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Saturday)
7 August 1966 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Sunday)
21 October 1966 – The Overlanders (Friday)
28 October 1966 – The Loose Ends (Friday)
11 November 1966 – Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Friday)
18 November 1966 – The Shotgun Express (Friday) (Fabulous 208)
24 November 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Thursday)
2 December 1966 – The Symbols (Friday)
16 December 1966 – The Riot Squad (Friday)
23 December 1966 – The Shevelles (Friday)
30 December 1966 – The Downliners Sect (Friday)
6 January 1967 – The New Loose Ends (Friday)
13 January 1967 – The Amboy Dukes (Friday)
25 January 1967 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Wednesday)
3 February 1967 – The Herd (Friday) (Fabulous 208)
10 February 1967 – The Shevelles (Friday)
17 February 1967 – The Shotgun Express (Friday)
2 March 1967 – The Gass (Thursday)
8 March 1967 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Wednesday)
31 March 1967 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Friday)
14 April 1967 – Coloured Raisins and Honey Darling (Friday)
21 April 1967 – The James Royal Set (Friday)
28 April 1967 – The New Mojo Band (Friday)
5 May 1967 – The Spectrum (Friday) (says Bellingham so could be King Alfred’s instead)
12 May 1967 – Marmalade (Friday)
19 May 1967 – Davey Sands & The Essex (Friday)
26 May 1967 – The Spectrum (Friday)
2 June 1967 – St James Infirmary (Friday)
9 June 1967 – The Spectrum (Friday)
16 June 1967 – Linda Layne & The Sin (Friday)
23 June 1967 – Freddie Fingers & The Upper Hand (Friday)
30 June 1967 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Friday)
19 July 1967 – Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Fabulous 208) (Wednesday)
28 July 1967 – The Coloured Raisins (Friday)
18 August 1967 – The Coloured Raisins (Friday)
12 January 1968 – The Shell Shock Show (Friday)
26 January 1968 – The Love Affair (Friday)
2 February 1968 – The Delroy Williams Show (Friday)
9 February 1968 – Hamilton’s Movements (Friday)
16 February 1968 – The Coloured Raisins (Friday)
8 March 1968 – Cymbalines (Friday)
15 March 1968 – The Coloured Raisins (Friday)
12 April 1968 – The Riot Squad (Friday)
19 April 1968 – The Good Time Band (Friday)
26 April 1968 – Sugar Simone & The Programme (Friday)
17 May 1968 – Joyce Bond Revue (Friday)
14 June 1968 – The Epics (Friday)
21 June 1968 – Hopscotch (Friday)
28 June 1968 – Moon’s Train (Friday)
5 July 1968 – The Joyce Bond Revue (Friday)
12 July 1968 – The Coloured Raisins (Friday)
13 July 1968 – The Wild Angels (Saturday)
2 August 1968 – 1958 Rock Show with Freddie Fingers (Friday)
16 August 1968 – The Coloured Raisins (Friday)
23 August 1968 – Tony Rivers (& Harmony Grass) (Friday)
30 August 1968 – Episode Six (Friday)
6 September 1968 – The Coloured Raisins (Friday)
13 September 1968 – Hopscotch (Friday)
20 September 1968 – The Joyce Bond Revue (Friday)
11 October 1968 – The Epics (Friday)
18 October 1968 – Gene Latter (Friday)
1 November 1968 – Tony Rivers (& Harmony Grass) (Friday)
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, late 1967. Clockwise from front, Peter Carney, Geno Washington, Hans Herbert, John Culley, Dave Greenslade, Clive Burrows and Lionel Kingham (photo from Buddy Beadle).
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (April 1967-April 1968)
Geno Washington – lead vocals John ‘Silkie’ Culley – lead guitar Dave Greenslade – organ (replaced John Carroll who played a few weeks) Peter Carney – bass Lionel ‘Rocky’ Kingham – tenor saxophone Clive ‘Hercules’ Burrows – baritone saxophone Hans Herbert – drums
Melody Maker announced that three (of the original) members (Pete Gage, Geoff Pullum and Herb Prestidge) had left in mid-April 1967 and Geno Washington would be replacing them the same week. The revised line up (deputy musicians alongside surviving members) was due to play its debut on 19 April (Wednesday).
NME also noted that three original members had left the week ending 22 April. It reported that Geno Washington had taken on deputy musicians until permanent replacements could be found as commitments would not be interrupted.
Guitarist John Culley confirmed from his diary that he played his debut on 26 April (with John Carroll on organ) after auditioning at the Ram Jam in Brixton a day or two beforehand (24 April is the most plausible date) so deputy musicians were definitely used in the interim.
Photo: South East London Mercury, 18 May 1967
The personnel changes were subsequently announced in South East London Mercury on 18 May 1967 (page 2).
NME announced the Dave Greenslade line-up above in the week ending 6 May, so it seems that John Carroll did play a few weeks before Greenslade joined after honouring his commitments with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds.
Keyboard player John Carroll knew bass player Peter Carney from The Flexmen and The London Beats during 1963-1965. He also briefly played with Carney in Tony Knight’s Chessmen in 1966 before joining The New Pirates in February 1967. Carroll had commitments with The Flower Pot Men and later went on to play with Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers and The Flirtations on Stevie Wonder’s UK tour.
Guitarist John Culley had formed The Hi-Grades in spring 1962 alongside guitarist Glen Desmier, bass player Mike Watson drummer Phil Wainman and others. After backing singer Michael Holliday in Jersey the following summer (as Mike Twain & The Hi-Grades), the musicians moved to Sweden in June 1964 and recorded for Sonet. They also backed other artists on recordings for the label. In 1965, Tony Walter replaced Phil Wainman on drums and the musicians toured Denmark, briefly working as The Dynamiters and backing singer Swedish Jerry Williams before Culley returned to the UK in late 1965.
Culley next moved to Paris to work with French singer Ronnie Bird until auditioning for Geno Washington in April 1967. Peter Carney brought his old friend Pete Ross from The Flexmen along to the Ram Jam audition but John Culley got the job.
Drummer Hans Herbert, who’d played with Peter Carney and John Carroll in The Flexmen, had gone on to work with The Just Four and The Guests during 1965-1966 before playing with The All Night Workers from October 1966.
Keyboard player Dave Greenslade was a longstanding member of Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (who’d gigged with the original Ram Jam Band on numerous occasions), having briefly worked with Clive Burrows in the Wes Minister Five in 1964.
After Greenslade joined, the new Ram Jam Band (with a session bass player, possibly Tony Reeves) recorded and released two singles – “She Shot a Hole In My Soul” c/w “I’ve Been Hurt By Love” (Piccadilly 7N 35392), released in June 1967; and “Different Strokes” c/w “You Got Me Hummin’” (Pye 7N 17425), released in December 1967. For the “Different Strokes” session, noted session player Harry Stoneham arranged the track and added keyboards alongside Greenslade.
With Peter Carney on bass, they also cut the remainder of the tracks on the second LP, Hipsters, Flipsters, Finger-Poppin’ Daddies! (Piccadilly NPL/NSPL 38032), which was released in September 1967 and peaked at #8 in the UK charts. Later that year, the band recorded a studio album, Shake a Tail Feather Baby! (Piccadilly NPL/NSPL 38029), which was issued in January 1968.
“Different Strokes” and “You Got Me Hummin’” also appeared on a second EP, “Different Strokes” (Pye NEP 24293), which also included the tracks “I’m Your Puppet” and “Use Me”. The former was cut earlier in the year by the Pete Gage formation.
Selected gigs:
19 April 1967 – College of Commerce, Hull, Humberside with Tony Rivers & The Castaways, The Amboy Dukes, The Locomotion and The Jamm
21 April 1967 – Boulevard Club, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire and Crystal Ballroom, Castleford, West Yorkshire
22 April 1967 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester
23 April 1967 – Ricky Tick, Plaza, Newbury, Berkshire
(Please note: above gigs may not have happened but if they did, they were with deputy musicians)
24/25 April – Auditions at Ram Jam, Brixton, London bring in John Carroll and John Culley
26 April 1967 – Top Rank, Croydon, London with Davey Sands & The Essex (Carroll and Culley’s debut)
27 April 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire
27 April 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Old Hill, West Midlands (clashes with confirmed gig above and not in John Culley’s diary so very unlikely)
28 April 1967 – Chelmsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex (not in John Culley’s diary)
28 April 1967 – Shoreline, Bognor Regis, West Sussex
29 April 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire
30 April 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire
1 May 1967 – Watford Round Table, Watford Top Rank Suite, Watford, Hertfordshire with The Amboy Dukes
2 May 1967 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
4 May 1967 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
5 May 1967 – Southampton Guildhall, Southampton, Hants. (David Else also has them playing Newbury Ricky Tick on this date)
6 May 1967 – Chelmsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex
7 May 1967 – NME Poll Winners’ Show, Empire Pool, Wembley, London with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch, Cream, Dusty Springfield, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, The Beach Boys, Paul Jones, Lulu, The Move, The Small Faces, The Spencer Davis Group, The Alan Price Set, Cat Stevens, The Troggs and others
16 May – Recording at Pye
17 May 1967 – Top Rank, Doncaster, South Yorkshire (also TV appearance)
18 May 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Coventry, West Midlands
19 May 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, London
20 May 1967 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent
21 May 1967 – Ricky Tick, Plaza, Newbury, Berkshire
22 May 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Penny Blacks
25 May 1967 – Recording at Pye
26 May 1967 – Pavilion Ballroom, Weymouth, Dorset with Palmer James and The Package Deal
27 May 1967 – Winter Gardens Pavilion, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
28 May 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London with The Hunky Chunk Band
29 May 1967 – Tulip Bulp Auction Hall, Spalding, Lincolnshire with Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, The Move, Zoot Money and Pink Floyd
31 May – Recording at Pye
1 June 1967 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with Combustion
2 June 1967 – Ricky Tick, Hounslow, London
3 June 1967 – Morley Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire with Bobby Johnson & The Atoms
4 June 1967 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey
6 June 1967 – Britannia Ballroom, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
10 June 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands
10 June 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
11 June 1967 – Redcar Jazz Club, Coatham Hotel, Redcar, North Yorkshire
13 June 1967 – Caius College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
16 June 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire
17 June 1967 – Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire
18 June 1967 – Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with The Nite People, Ferris Wheel and Neil Diamond
26 June 1967 – St Luke’s College, Exeter University, Exeter, Devon
27 June 1967 – Queen’s Hall, Barnstaple, Devon
29 June 1967 – Scotch Club, Torquay, Devon
30 June 1967 – St George’s Hall, Exeter, Devon
1 July 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with Minor Portion
2 July 1967 – Khyber Club, Taunton, Somerset with The Son-Set, The Circles and Nick & Pete’s Hot Spot
3 July 1967 – Bath Pavilion, Bath, Somerset
4 July 1967 – Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire
6 July 1967 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with Julian Covey Machine (held at Flamingo Ballroom)
9 July 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London
11 July 1967 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon
11 July 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Basildon, Essex (missing from John Culley’s diary and unlikely as above date confirmed)
12 July 1967 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent (missing from John Culley’s diary so not clear if this happened)
12 July 1967 – Bal Tabarin, Downham, London
13 July 1967 – Recorded for Top of the Pops (according to John Culley’s diary) (Note: This may have been same show that was aired on 1 September and also included The Action, Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours and Matt Munroe)
15 July 1967 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester
17 July 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Portsmouth, Hants (missing from John Culley’s diary so may not have happened)
18 July 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Amboy Dukes
19 July 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London (recorded promo video at Battersea Park earlier in the day)
21 July 1967 – Casino Club, Burnley, Lancashire with Sisters of Idle Dreams
22 July 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire
24 July 1967 – Recorded for BBC in Manchester (Pop North)
25 July 1967 – Left for Scottish tour that lasted until 29 July
28 July 1967 – Ballerina Ballroom, Nairn, Scotland with The Copycats
29 July 1967 – The Beach, Aberdeen, Scotland (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
31 July 1967 – Silver Blades, Bradford, West Yorkshire (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
1 August 1967 – Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham with Shades of Gray (missing from John Culley’s diary)
3 August 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Streatham, London
5 August 1967 – New Cornish Riveria, St Austell, Cornwall with The Harlequins
7 August 1967 – Birmingham Roller Rink, Birmingham (also BBC recordings Monday Monday)
8 August 1967 – Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
10 August 1967 – Locarno, Bristol, Avon
11 August 1967 – Locarno, Basildon, Essex
16 August 1967 – Seagull Ballroom, Ryde Pier Head, Isle of Wight (Isle of Wight County Press has Disco Blue, Ryde)
17 August 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Portsmouth, Hampshire with Jack & The Jacobites
18 August 1967 – Flew to Spain
19 August 1967 – Tiffany’s Ballroom, Barcelona, Spain (also play gigs at Platja D’aro)
22 August 1967 – Spinning Disc, Leeds, West Yorkshire
24 August 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Coventry, West Midlands
25 August 1967 – Gaiety, Grimsby, South Yorkshire
26 August 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London
28 August 1967 – Hastings Festival, Hastings, East Sussex with The Kinks, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Robb Storme & The Whispers, Winston’s Fumbs and Hip Hooray Band
30 August 1967 – Locarno, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
31 August 1967 – Pavilion, Southampton, Hants
1 September 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands (missing from John Culley’s diary and clashes with Hayes gig below which is confirmed but it was advertised)
1 September 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands (not in John Culley’s diary and clashes with Hayes gig below which is confirmed but it was advertised)
1 September 1967 – Botwell Community Centre, Hayes, London
4 September 1967 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Robert Plant & The Band of Joy
5 September 1967 – BBC Saturday Club appearance
7 September 1967 – Skyline Ballroom, Hull, Humberside
8 September 1967 – Boulevard Club, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire and then Crystal Ballroom (aka the Boogaloo Discotheque), Castleford, West Yorkshire
9 September 1967 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire
12 September 1967 – Palais, Ilford, Essex
13 September 1967 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, London (short holiday after this)
28 September 1967 – Assembly Hall, Worthing, West Sussex
30 September 1967 – Band flies to Copenhagen for short Scandinavian tour, sharing some dates with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention
30 September 1967 – ‘Love Out’, Brondby Pop Club, Brondby, Denmark with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Hurdy Gurdy and R&B Section
3-4 October 1967 – Star Club, Copenhagen, Denmark
7 October 1967 – Idrotthuset, Orebro, Sweden with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Blues Quality and The Quints
8 October 1967 – Jernvallen, Sandviken, Sweden with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Two Good Reasons (On this day also billed to play Grantham Drill Hall with Broodly Hoo and Legay but didn’t appear)
10 October 1967 – Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Defenders
13 October 1967 – Tottenham Royal, Tottenham, London (missing from John Culley’s diary so may not have happened)
14 October 1967 – Flowerpot Club, Digbeth, Birmingham, West Midlands with The Sea Cruisers (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
15 October 1967 – Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
16 October 1967 – Silver Blades Ice Rink, Bradford, West Yorkshire (missing from John Culley’s diary so may not have happened)
17 October 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Amboy Dukes
21 October 1967 – Matlock Bath, Matlock, Derbyshire with Bread & Butter Band, Thorndyke’s Mordekai’s Imagination (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
22 October 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
27 October 1967 – Skyline Ballroom, Hull with The Roll Movement, Richard G Simpson Band and The Peighton Checks (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
28 October 1967 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent (missing from John Culley’s diary so may not have happened)
29 October 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, London with The All-Nite Workers
4 November 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands with Johnny Neale & The Starliners (missing from John Culley’s diary)
4 November 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands (missing from John Culley’s diary)
5 November 1967 – Plaza, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire with The Rats (missing from John Culley’s diary)
Photo: Lancashire Evening Post
6 November 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Blackpool, Lancashire (missing from John Culley’s diary)
15 November 1967 – St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, Norfolk with Alex Wilson Sect and Rubber Band (missing from John Culley’s diary)
16 November 1967 – Birdcage, Harlow, Essex (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
17 November 1967 – Big C Club, Farnborough, Hants (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
18 November 1967 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester
21 November 1967 – Greasboro’ Social Club, Doncaster, South Yorkshire and Kettlethorpe Working Men’s Club, Wakefield, West Yorkshire (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
27 November 1967 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Probe (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
28 November 1967 – Bag O’Nails, Kingley Street, Soho, London (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
2 December 1967 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire with The 4th Coming and The Acme Music Co
26 December 1967 – Roller Rink, Birmingham, West Midlands (missing from John Culley’s diary so needs confirmation)
30 December 1967 – Starlight Room, Boston, Lincolnshire with Ebony Keys, The Lost and Ray Bones
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band Live, Late 1967/1968. Left to right: Peter Carney, John Culley, Geno Washington and Clive Burrows (photo from Peter Carney).
1 January 1968 – Sherwood Arms, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
4 January 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Portsmouth, Hants
5 January 1968 – Royal Ballroom, Tottenham, London
7 January 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex
9 January 1968 – Bluesology Festival, Chateau Impney, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Joe Cocker, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Duster Bennett
9 January 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with Ferris Wheel
10 January 1968 – Pavilion, Southampton, Hants
11 January 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Streatham, London
13 January 1968 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire
19 January 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Burslem, Staffordshire with The Iveys (some sources have Marmalade and The Peeps)
20 January 1968 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester
28 January 1968 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Georgie Fame and The Cedar Set
30 January 1968 – Palais, Ilford, Kent
31 January 1968 – Locarno, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
2 February 1968 – Marine Ballroom, Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire with Bruce & The Spiders and Doodlebugs
3 February 1968 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Executives
5 February 1968 – The Howard Platt Discotheque Show, Jazz and Blues Festival, Norwich, Norfolk with The Kinks and Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound
10 February 1968 – Devonshire House, Exeter University, Exeter, Devon
12 February 1968 – Bluesville ’68, St Matthew’s Baths, Ipswich, Suffolk with The Track
15 February 1968 – Zodiac Club, Eden Park Hotel, Beckenham, London (replacing Georgie Fame)
16 February 1968 – Top Rank Suite, Swansea, Wales with The Tremeloes and Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
17 February 1968 – Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex with Simon K & The Meantimers
24 February 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Dykas
25 February 1968 – New Regis Club, Bognor Regis, West Sussex
28 February 1968 – Bluesville ’68 Club, St Matthew’s Baths, Ipswich, Suffolk
1 March 1968 – Mad Hatters Ball, Albert Hall, London with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and others (cancelled)
2 March 1968 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
3 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex
8 March 1968 – Club Rado, Belfast, Northern Ireland with The Few
9 March 1968 – Belfast University Students’ Union, Belfast, Northern Ireland with Taste
11 March 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Glasgow
15 March 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire with The Soul Station (or might be The Uncertainty)
16 March 1968 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, Essex with support
17 March 1968 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry, West Midlands
18 March 1968 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The System
22 March 1968 – Big C Club, Farnborough, Hants
23 March 1968 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester
6 April 1968 – Glen Ballroom, Llanelli, south Wales
9 April 1968 – Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey
11 April 1968 – Eden Park Hotel, Beckenham, London
12 April 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire
13 April 1968 – Sports Stadium, Bracknell, Berkshire
19 April 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire with Granny’s Intentions
20 April 1968 – Glen Ballroom, Llanelli, Wales
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (April 1968-August 1968)
Geno Washington – lead vocals Dave Greenslade – organ John ‘Silkie’ Culley – lead guitar Peter Carney – bass Lionel ‘Rocky’ Kingham – tenor saxophone Pat Higgs – trumpet Hans Herbert – drums
Clive Burrows left around April 1968 and the band took on trumpet player Pat Higgs, a former member of Elton John’s mid-1960s band, Bluesology and then a brief member of Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement.
This version of the band was responsible for a lone single, “I Can’t Quit Her” c/w Carney and Culley’s “Put Out The Fire Baby” (Pye 7N 17570), which was released in July 1968.
Geno Washington’s band also recorded a new live album Live! – Running Wild (Pye NPL/NSPL 18219) recorded at the Casino Ballroom, Bolton, Lancashire on 9 August 1968 before personnel changes took place.
NME reported in the week ending 17 August that Geno Washington had split from Rik Gunnell’s agency and briefly gone with Mike Rispoli.
Selected gigs:
26 April 1968 – Marine Ballroom, Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire with Atlantics and Doodlebugs
27 April 1968 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands
28 April 1968 – Wake Arms, Epping, Essex
2 May 1968 – ‘Star Club’, Agincourt, Camberley, Surrey with The Late
4 May 1968 – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent with The Section and Square One
9 May 1968 – The Matrix, Coventry, West Midlands with The Magazine and The Square (or Skin Deep)
10 May 1968 – George Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with The Magazine and The Square
11 May 1968 – Bouton Rouge, Paris, France (filmed for French TV – this might be the broadcast date). According to Birmingham Evening Mail, they played The Swan, Yardley, West Midlands with The Magazine on this day
16 May 1968 – Black Prince, Bexley, London
17 May 1968 – Mayfair, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear
18 May 1968 – Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire with Bags Grove
19 May 1968 – Oasis Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with support
22 May 1968 – Top Rank, Reading, Berkshire
23 May 1968 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with The Pyramids
24 May 1968 – Rag Ball, Town Hall, Walsall, West Midlands with PP Arnold and support
24 May 1968 – George Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with The Magazine and The Square (need to confirm)
25 May 1968 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with Jaytree Organisation
26 May 1968 – Oasis Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Staffords
31 May 1968 – Winter Gardens, Blackpool, Lancashire
2 June 1968 – Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire with The Isley Brothers, James and Bobby Purify, Jo Jo Cook & The Rackett and Fascination
3 June 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Narbeth, west Wales with KR Commotion and The Bard
6 June 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Portsmouth, Hants with Jack Hawkins & The Jacobites
7 June 1968 – Marine Ballroom, Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire with The Bootlaces and The Senoritas
8 June 1968 – Civic Hall, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Goodtime Band
12 June 1968 – Locarno, Stevenage, Herts
13 June 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Coventry, West Midlands
14 June 1968 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear
21 June 1968 – Midsummer Nights Dream, Burton Constable, near Hull with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, Marmalade, Family, Spooky Tooth, Tramline, Savoy Brown Blues Band, Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, Baron Richtofen’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Circus, CJ Morris and The Reaction
27 June 1968 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Emotions
30 June 1968 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London
1 July 1968 – Chesford Grange, Kenilworth, Warwickshire with The Traction
4 July 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Iveys
5 July 1968 – Kursaal Ballroom, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
6 July 1968 – Woburn Music Festival, Woburn, Bedfordshire with Jimi Hendrix Experience, T-Rex, Family, New Formula and Little Women
11 July 1968 – Assembly Hall, Worthing, West Sussex
12 July 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Basildon, Essex
14 July 1968 – Birmingham Top Rank Suite, Birmingham, West Midlands
15 July 1968 – Radio One’s David Symonds Show
19 July 1968 – Romanos, Belfast, Northern Ireland with The Dixies
20 July 1968 – New Arcadia, Bray, Republic of Ireland with The Ravens
21 July 1968 – Olympia, Waterford, Republic of Ireland with Kim & The Footers
26 July 1968 – Liverpool, Lancashire (no venue listed)
27 July 1968 – Prestatyn, Wales (no venue listed but probably Royal Lido)
29 July 1968 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands
2 August 1968 – Music Hall, Shrewsbury with The Heart & Soul and The Sons of Rest
3 August 1968 – Market Hall, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire with Wedgewood Blues and The Triads
7 August 1968 – Top Rank, Henley, Berkshire
8 August 1968 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with The Emotions
9 August 1968 – Casino Ballroom, Bolton, Lancashire
9 August 1968 – Casino Club, Wigan, Lancashire
Sources include:South East London Mercury, Melody Maker, NME, Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Nottingham Evening Post, West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette, Cornish Guardian, Birmingham Evening Mail, Camberley News & Bagshot Observer, Northwich Chronicle, South Wales Evening Post, Derby Evening Telegraph, Derbyshire Times, Aberdeen Evening Express, North Norfolk News, Surrey Advertiser, Express & Star, Aldershot News, Southend Standard, Bracknell News, Hull Daily Mail, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Ipswich Evening Star, New Ross Standard, Wicklow People, Belfast Telegraph, Dave Allen (Birdcage gigs), Steve Ingless (Bishop’s Stortford), Fabulous 208, Morecambe Visitor, Pembroke County & West Wales Guardian, Western Gazette, Burnley Express & Burnley News.
Huge thanks to Peter Carney, John Culley (who shared his 1967 diary) and John Carroll for helping with line ups
The Wranglers were a Southeast London band formed around 1963. Judging by early photos they were a four-piece outfit before joining forces with singer Kenny Bernard, who was from Trinidad, in 1965.
Prior to the link up, The Wranglers had released a lone single for Parlophone in 1964. After they became Kenny Bernard & The Wranglers, the group cut two singles for Parlophone before drummer Glenn Martin from Wembley joined them.
An article in the South East London Mercury newspaper, dated 13 August 1965 (see above), lists the line up as:
Kenny Bernard – vocals John Taft – lead guitar Trevor West – rhythm guitar Colin McKie – bass Ian Saunders – saxophone Alan Reeves – organ Glenn Martin – drums
Reeves had previously been a member of another local band, The Showtimers.
This line up cut the group’s third single with Bernard, “The Tracker” c/w “You Gotta Give” on Pye, released in August. The A-side was a cover of The Sir Douglas Quintet’s “She’s About a Mover”.
This line up became the house band at the Ad-Lib Club and live recordings by the band have been released by Acid Jazz Records.
Around September Glenn Martin left to work with singer Ayshea Brough and then a few months later landed a job with Hedgehoppers Anonymous.
Judging by a later article in the South East London Mercury, Martin’s replacement was drummer John Aldrich, who together with guitarist Trevor Brown (possibly the same person as Trevor West above) joined Alan Reeves’s former band The Showtimers in early 1966.
Bernard later went solo.
If anyone can add or correct any information above, please leave a comment.
The Witch Doctor in Catford was a notable rock venue in southeast London and was located above the Savoy Rooms. It opened in October 1965 and mainly hosted bands on Saturday nights (the other nights of the week are noted).
I’ve started a list of artists that were advertised to play at the venue. I would welcome any additions and any memories from anyone that attended the club. All of the entries are from the South East London Mercury unless otherwise noted.
Savoy Rooms’ gigs from March 1964. Photo: South East London Mercury
The gigs listed below from early August to mid-October were held at the Savoy Rooms before the Witch Doctor opened at the end of October 1965:
7 August 1965 – Johnny Cannon & The Shades with The Lonely Ones
14 August 1965 – The Gobbledegooks with Dave & The Strollers
21 August 1965 – The Trendsetters Ltd with Wainwright’s Gentlemen
28 August 1965 – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich with The Equals
4 September 1965 – The Bo Street Runners
11 September 1965 – The Bretheren
18 September 1965 – Bubbles & Company
25 September 1965 – The Mark Four
2 October 1965 – The Crowd with The Epics
9 October 1965 – Just Four Men
16 October 1965 – The Symbols
23 October 1965 – missing entry
The following gigs were held at the Witch Doctor, above the Savoy Rooms:
31 October 1965 – The Mighty Avengers
6 November 1965 – The Herd
13 November 1965 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways
14 November 1965 – The Lonely Ones (says every Sunday night)
20 November 1965 – The Fenmen
21 November 1965 – The Lonely Ones (Sunday night)
27 November 1965 – The Objects
28 November 1965 – Alan Haren with Tony Crombie and The Lonely Ones (Sunday night)
4 December 1965 – Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men
5 December 1965 – The Lonely Ones (Sunday night)
11 December 1965 – The Herd
12 December 1965 – The Washington DCs (Sunday night)
19 December 1965 – The Washington DCs (Sunday night)
24 December 1965 – The Lonely Ones, Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men and The Confederates (Friday night)
31 December 1965 – The Majority, The Beat Syndicate and The High Jackers (Friday night)
8 January 1966 – The Mark Four
15 January 1966 – Davey Sands & The Essex
22 January 1966 – The Carnaby
29 January 1966 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways
5 February 1966 – The Washington DCs
12 February 1966 – The Mark Four (advert says Mark VI’s)
19 February 1966 – The Loose Ends
26 February 1966 – Peter B’s Looners
In March gigs were advertised for Friday. Not sure if that means gigs also happened on Saturdays and they are missing
4 March 1966 – Big beat group (Friday night)
11 March 1966 – Davey Sands & The Essex (Friday night)
18 March 1966 – The Carnaby (Friday night)
25 March 1966 – The Mark Four (Friday night)
1 April 1966 – The Loose Ends and The Lonely Ones (Friday night)
8 April 1966 – missing entry (if band due to play on Friday night)
9 April 1966 – missing entry (if band due to play on Saturday night)
10 April 1966 – The Loose Ends and The Lonely Ones (Sunday night)
15 April 1966 – The Majority (Friday night)
16 April 1966 – missing entry (if band due to play Saturday night)
23 April 1966 – The Washington DCs
28 April 1966 – The Who (Thursday night)
30 April 1966 – The Mark Four
7 May 1966 – Johnny B Great & The Quotations
14 May 1966 – The Loose Ends
21 May 1966 – The Plus Four
28 May 1966 – The Fenmen
4 June 1966 – The Gaylords
11 June 1966 – Washington DCs
18 June 1966 – The Majority
25 June 1966 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways
2 July 1966 – The Riot Squad
7 July 1966 – Guy Darrell (Thursday night)
9 July 1966 – Davey Sands & The Essex
16 July 1966 – missing entry
23 July 1966 – missing entry
30 July 1966 – missing entry
6 August 1966 – Tony Knight’s Chessmen (Sunday night) (Fabulous 208)
13 August 1966 – missing entry
20 August 1966 – Dave Anthony’s Moods
27 August 1966 – The Herd
3 September 1966 – Davey Sands & The Essex
10 September 1966 – missing entry
17 September 1966 – The Loose Ends
24 September 1966 – The Gaylords (changed name to Marmalade soon after)
1 October 1966 – The Herd
7 October 1966 – The Tea-Set (Friday night)
8 October 1966 – David Bowie
12 October 1966 – Davey Sands & The Essex (Wednesday night)
14 October 1966 – Kenny Everett (Friday night)
15 October 1966 – The Creation
22 October 1966 – The Quiet Five
28 October 1966 – Episode Six (Radio London night) (Brian Long’s research)
29 October 1966 – The Gaylords (aka Marmalade)
4 November 1966 – Pop group (Friday night)
5 November 1966 – Tony Jackson & The Vibrations
9 November 1966 – The Clockwork Oranges (Wednesday night)
10 November 1966 – Steve Darbyshire & The Yum Yum Band (Thursday night)
11 November 1966 – Episode Six (Radio London night) (Brian Long’s research)
12 November 1966 – The Epics
19 November 1966 – The Fleur De Lyes with The Clockwork Oranges (Keith Guster’s diary)
23 November 1966 – The Clockwork Oranges (Wednesday night)
26 November 1966 – Davey Sands & The Essex
Clive Chase who played bass with Bobby King & The Sabres says that his group played on 26 November 1966 with Marmalade (see comments section below where he also lists Bobby King & The Sabres’ gigs at the Savoy Rooms for the years 1963-1965).
30 November 1966 – The Clockwork Oranges (Wednesday night)
2 December 1966 – Radio London night
3 December 1966 – The Gaylords (aka Marmalade)
10 December 1966 – missing entry
16 December 1966 – Radio London night
17 December 1966 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s diary –see comments section below)
23 December 1966 – Radio London night
24 December 1966 – The Mark Barry Groove and The Clockwork Oranges
30 December 1966 – Radio London night
31 December 1966 – Davey Sands & The Essex
The following are all Saturdays, unless otherwise noted. Most of the gigs had support but I did not list who they were.
7 January 1967 – missing entry
14 January 1967 – missing entry
21 January 1967 – The Lonely Ones
28 January 1967 – missing entry
4 February 1967 – The Stormsville Shakers
11 February 1967 – The Stormsville Shakers, The Coloured Raisins and The Heads
18 February 1967 – Guy Darrell and The Gnomes of Zurich
25 February 1967 – Dianne Ferris (aka Ferraz) and Nicky Scott & The New Images
4 March 1967 – Davey Sands & The Essex with supporting band
11 March 1967 – Davey Sands & The Essex
18 March 1967 – missing entry
25 March 1967 – missing entry
31 March 1967 – Davey Sands & The Essex (Friday night)
1 April 1967 – The Stormsville Shakers
7 April 1967 – The Washington DCs with supporting band (Friday night)
8 April 1967 – The Herd and Bobby King & The Sabres
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, confirms this gig from his diary – see comments section below.
14 April 1967 – The Symbols and The New Breed (Friday night)
15 April 1967 – The Lonely Ones with supporting band
21 April 1967 – The Creation with supporting band (Friday night)
22 April 1967 – The Flies with supporting band
28 April 1967 – (Simon K &) The Meantimers and The Groove (Friday night)
29 April 1967 – The Smoke with supporting band
5 May 1967 – The Coloured Raisins with King Ossie with supporting band (Friday night)
6 May 1967 – Episode Six with supporting band
12 May 1967 – The Next Issue and The Original Dyaks (Friday night)
13 May 1967 – The Fleur De Lyes with supporting band (Keith Guster’s diary)
19 May 1967 – The Human Instinct and The Jet Set (Friday night)
20 May 1967 – King Ossie and The Coloured Raisins with supporting band
26 May 1967 – John Watson & The Web and The Decision (recently The Showtimers but changed name) (Friday night)
27 May 1967 – The Fancy Bred
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 27 May – see comments section below.
2 June 1967 – The Attack with supporting band (Friday night)
3 June 1967 – Just Too Much (ex-members of Davey Sands & The Essex) with supporting band
9 June 1967 – The Knack (Friday night)
10 June 1967 – The H T
16 June 1967 – The Decision (formerly The Showtimers) and The Candy Choir (Friday night)
17 June 1967 – The Original Dyaks with supporting band
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 17 June – see comments section below.
23 June 1967 – The Fireballs and Jon (Friday night)
24 June 1967 – (Simon K &) The Meantimers with supporting band
30 June 1967 – The Power and The Original Dyaks (Friday night)
1 July 1967 – Episode Six with supporting band
7 July 1967 – The Skatellites and The Guns of Navarone (Friday night)
8 July 1967 – Washington DCs with supporting band
14 July 1967 – Coloured Raisins and King Ossie (Friday night)
15 July 1967 – The Creation and The Poor Boys
21 July 1967 – The Original Dyaks (Friday night)
22 July 1967 – Tony Jackson & The Garden (the ex-Searcher?)
28 July 1967 – The Stax (formerly The Heads) and Ruby James (Friday night)
29 July 1967 – The Robb Storme Group and The Amboy Dukes
4 August 1967 – The Iveys (Friday night)
5 August 1967 – Heinz & The Wild Boys
11 August 1967 – Washington DCs with supporting band (Friday night)
12 August 1967 – Episode Six with supporting band
18 August 1967 – The Original Dyaks with supporting band (Friday night)
19 August 1967 – The Marmalade with supporting band
25 August 1967 – (Simon K &) The Meantimers (Friday night)
26 August 1967 – Skip Bisserty (Skip Bifferty?)
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 26 August – see comments section below.
1 September 1967 – The Ebony Keys with supporting band (Friday night)
2 September 1967 – The Amboy Dukes with supporting band
8 September 1967 – The Fingers and Bobby King & The Sabres (Friday night)
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 8 September – see comments section below.
9 September 1967 – Robb Storme Group and The Fireballs
15 September 1967 – The Original Dyaks (Friday night)
16 September 1967 – The Skatallites
22 September 1967 – The Riot Squad and The New Breed (Friday night)
23 September 1967 – The Coloured Raisins
29 September 1967 – Robb Storme Group and Outrage (Friday night)
30 September 1967 – The Stormsville Shakers and The Soul Kings
6 October 1967 – The Love Affair with supporting band(Friday night)
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 6 October – see comments section below.
7 October 1967 – The Original Dyaks with supporting band
13 October 1967 – missing entry
14 October 1967 – missing entry
20 October 1967 – The Amboy Dukes with supporting band (Friday night)
21 October 1967 – Junior Smith
27 October 1967 – missing entry
28 October 1967 – Episode Six with Bobby King & The Sabres
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 28 October – see comments section below.
4 November 1967 – Tony Rivers & The Castaways
11 November 1967 – The Gaff and The All Coloured Soul Sensation
18 November 1967 – The Love Affair
25 November 1967 – The Skatallites
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 25 November – see comments section below.
2 December 1967 – Marmalade
9 December 1967 – missing entry
16 December 1967 – missing entry
23 December 1967 – missing entry
30 December 1967 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s diary)
I am missing most of 1968’s entries so would welcome any additions/corrections
17 February 1968 – Marmalade
24 February 1968 – The Amboy Dukes
1 March 1968 – Coloured Raisins
2 March 1968 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s diary)
16 March 1968 – The Gass
20 April 1968 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s diary)
1 June 1968 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s diary)
29 June 1968 – Sweet Rain
Clive Chase, the bass player with Bobby King & The Sabres, says that his group also played on 29 June – see comments section below. It is the debut gig for the band’s new drummer Geoff Britton who will later go on to join Wings.
6 July 1968 – The Coloured Raisins
17 August 1968 – Funky Fever
14 September 1968 – The Amboy Dukes (Savoy, Catford)
9 November 1968 – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s diary)
7 December 1968 – The Amboy Dukes (Savoy, Catford)
1969
11 January 1969 – The Dream Police (Savoy, Catford) Melody Maker entry says this was formerly the Witch Doctor
Photo: Melody Maker
25 January 1969 – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and Justin Tyme
1 February 1969 – Amboy Dukes
8 February 1969 – The Skatelites
15 February 1969 – The Coloured Raisins and The Electric Sun
22 February 1969 – Justin Tyme
1 March 1969 – US Flattop with The Cat Road Show (Savoy, Catford) (Melody Maker)
Photo: Melody Maker
8 March 1969 – The Skatelites
22 March 1969 – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
4 April 1969 – Bandwagon
Photo: Melody Maker
5 April 1969 –Billie Davis (Savoy, Catford) (Melody Maker)
12 April 1969 – The Carnival
19 April 1969 – The Globe Show
26 April 1969 – Simon K & The Meantimers and Lee Hawkins (Savoy, Catford)
Photo: Melody Maker
3 May 1969 – Johnny James & The Swamp and Archimede’s Principle (Savoy, Catford) (Melody Maker)
10 May 1969 – The Greatest Show on Earth
17 May 1969 – The Pyramids and The Soft Sensation
31 May 1969 – Prince Buster
7 June 1969 – The Globe Show
14 June 1969 – The Cats
28 June 1969 – Purple Globe and The Skatelites
Photo: Melody Maker
2 August 1969 – The Pyramids (Savoy, Catford) (Melody Maker)
9 August 1969 – Simon K & The Meantimers (Savoy, Catford)
23 August 1969 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s diary)
30 August 1969 – Purple Globe
6 September 1969 – Dave Amboy Big Band (Amboy Dukes) (Savoy, Catford)
13 September 1969 – The Amboy Dukes (Savoy, Catford)
20 September 1969 – Bobby King & The Sabres (Clive Chase’s diary)
4 October 1969 – Simon K & The Meantimers (Savoy, Catford)
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
28 April 1967 – The New Mojo Band (Friday)
