Frankenstein & the Monsters, article from the Lincolnshire Standard, April 2, 1965
Above are rare photos of Frankenstein & the Monsters playing at the Woodhall Spa Hockey Club dance at Coronation Hall on Saturday, March 27, 1965. Woodhall Spa is east of Sheffield & Manchester, and a few hours north of London.Likely the act was capitalizing on the horror-rock show of Screaming Lord Sutch. The article describes what it was like to be at the show:
“…the sound building up to a crescendo of cacophony and din spread over half-an-hour and with increasing tempo, subdued lighting and flashing lights, was designed, and succeeded in stirring the pulse and the imagination.”‘
Frankenstein was vocalist Ray Stuart from Manchester, the rest of the group seems to have changed frequently over the next year. This photo seems to be an early line up of the group, named in the article as:
Paul Jarvis – bass Budg. P. Curtis – lead guitar Andy Fearn – drums Royce Francis – organ
Royce Francis played with the Upsetters, a group of English musicians formed in France in 1964 that toured the continent over the next several years, often with singer Pete Lancaster. The Upsetters backed Pete on two German releases, the single “Stupitidy” (sic – should read “Stupidity”) and “Baby, Baby, Baby” on Polydor International from 1966, and the LP Rhythm and Blues Show on Polydor from 1967. Anyone have good scans of those?
I’m not sure if Royce was with the Upsetters for their entire run, as this gig with Frankenstein and the Monsters would overlap.
The Upsetters included Derek Moore (bass), John C Marshall (guitar), Jim Clapper (tenor sax), Alvino Sykes (drums) and Royce Francis (organ). Also at some point, Ron Howden, who with Derek Moore would later join the Prophets before evolving into Nektar.
Andy Fearn played with the Barry Norton Four along with Pete Brown (lead guitar) and Dave Robinson (bass). I’m not sure who Budg. P. Curtis is.
Sometime after this show Ray Stuart found another backing band, the Sheffields. The Sheffields consisted of Roy Ledger, Dave Fawcett and Richard Smith, and cut legendary 45s on Pye in 1964: “It Must Be Love” / “Say Girl” (Pye 7N 15600), “Got My Mojo Working” / “Hey, Hey Lover Boy” (Pye 7N 15627), and “Bags Groove (Skat Walking)” / “Plenty of Love” (Pye 7N 15767, also Dot 45-16722 in the US).
At the end of 1965 however, The Sheffields went their own way before splitting ( lead guitarist Roy Ledger joined Dave Berry’s Cruisers) and Ray Stuart approached Dave Robinson, Phil Galley and Spud West to form a ‘new’ Monsters – eventually acquiring the services of former Monster’s bass player from the 1964/5 line up, Paul Jarvis.
This was the line up for the duration of 1966 with the band proving the most popular in their home city of Sheffield. Spud West played the part of The Mummy in the horror show and introduced the wonderful new trick of setting himself on fire as he left the coffin, until it got out of hand at Worsley Civic Hall when the fire hose had to be employed!
The band frequently appeared at The Oasis, Jung Frau, Top 20 Club at Droylsden as well as Bolton Palais and similar surrounding venues.
How do I know? I was lead guitarist in that line up before we became the fourth generation of Dave Berry’s Cruisers.
The Unit 4, from left: Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Frank Kennington
Frank Kennington – lead vocals Ian Gomm – rhythm guitar/lead guitar and vocals Martin Davis – bass Simon Behar – drums
+ Mick Liber – lead guitar
Ian Gomm
The band started around 1962/1963 and was formed by Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Simon Behar, who were all pupils at Ealing County School for Boys (another student was Lee Brilleaux who later formed Dr Feelgood).
Soon after forming, Frank Kennington, who was older than the others, joined as lead singer and they became Unit 4 (not to be confused with the Unit 4 + 2).
One of the bands Unit 4 opened for around 1963 was Del Angelo & The Detours, which included singer Del Angelo, lead guitarist Roger Daltry, rhythm guitarist Pete Townshend and bass player/horn player John Entwistle. The latter three went on to become The High Numbers and more famously, The Who.
Kennington became a close friend of The Who and would work with that band in later years. Mick Liber, who was playing with Frankie Reid & The Casuals and (and previously) Clay Alison & The Searchers (Ed. Liber had been taught feedback by Pete Townshend), guested with Unit 4 from the summer of 1964.
Simon Behar and Frank KenningtonFrank Kennington
Around October 1964, Kennington left England and moved to Sydney, Australia, and Unit 4 broke up.
Liber subsequently re-joined Frank Kennington in Sydney on 28 January 1965 after leaving Frankie Reid & The Casuals.
The pair formed a new version of Unit 4 (see pic below), who included (at various times) Australians Lloyd Hardy (bass), Roger Homan (rhythm guitar) and John Webber (drums) plus British expat, Shane Duckham (harmonica). However, the revived band was short-lived.
Photo may be subject to copyright: Unit 4 in Sydney, Australia during early 1965. Frank Kennington (second left) and Mick Liber (far right). Photo also shows John Webber (far left) and Roger Homan (second right).
By mid-1965, Kennington had briefly joined Sydney group, The Missing Links and then reunited with Liber in The Denvermen.
They then left to form the original version of Python Lee Jackson in December 1965, named by Liber’s former band leader from Clay Alison & The Searchers – Andre de Moller, who was living in Sydney at the time.
Kennington was subsequently deported and returned to the UK, where he roadied for The Who and eventually moved into rock management. He was Motorhead’s first road manager and moved out to California in the 1970s. He died in 1998.
Liber kept Python Lee Jackson going with various different line ups and recorded a string of singles for CBS. After working with Australian rock legend, Billy Thorpe, he reformed Python Lee Jackson and returned to the UK around October 1968.
After the London-based Unit 4 broke up in late 1964, Ian Gomm and Martin Davis went on to work with local band, The Unknowns.
Gomm subsequently played with West London bands The Triangle, The Generation and The Daisy Showband before joining Brinsley Schwarz in September 1970.
He co-wrote Nick Lowe’s worldwide hit “Cruel to Be Kind” with Lowe when they were both members of Brinsley Schwarz. He also had his own US top twenty hit “Hold On” in 1979 when the Ian Gomm Band supported Dire Straits on their epic “Sultans of Swing” US tour. “Hold On” was Stiff Records’ only US chart success.
Great thanks to Ian Gomm for supplying the photos (apart from the Australian Unit 4) and background information. Also, thanks to Mick Liber for his contributions and putting me in touch with Ian.
The Dae-b-Four, spring 1965, from left to right: Iain Pitwell, Rex Brayley, Bobby Dean, Brian Brayley and Roger SideyThe Dae-b-Four, live, early 1966. From left to right: Rex Brayley, Iain Pitwell and Brian Brayley
Rex Brayley – lead guitar/vocals
Brian Brayley – rhythm guitar
Roger Sidey – bass
Kenny Slade – drums
Jimmy Trimmer – lead vocals
Bob Carpenter – drums
Bobby Dean – drums
Iain Pitwell – lead vocals
Malcolm Randall – drums
John Kerrison – drums
Brothers Rex and Brian Brayley had first come to prominence with Tony Liddle & the Lads, a Hounslow band formed in 1962. The band also comprised singer Tony Liddle, bass player Roger Sidey and drummer Yan Kuttlevasher.
In mid-1964, Sheffield drummer Kenny Slade replaced Kuttlevasher after playing with Dave Berry & The Cruisers. When Tony Liddle left soon after, the group became The Dae-b-Four.
Not long after the name change, the musicians were joined by new lead singer Jimmy Trimmer. Then in early 1965, Bob Carpenter took over from Kenny Slade on drums. Slade joined The Sheffields and later worked with Joe Cocker.
Carpenter didn’t stay very long, however, and Bobby Dean from rival Hounslow band, The Stringbeats took over that spring. Dean introduced his friend, singer Iain Pitwell, who took over from Jimmy Trimmer when he departed.
However, Dean left in August 1965 to work with another local group, The Valkeries. Malcolm Randall from Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men took his place briefly. The line-up remained steady until November 1965 when John Kerrison came in on drums after playing in Germany with The Horizons. Kerrison had previously been a member of Frankie Reid & The Casuals and The Rocking Eccentrics.
Malcolm Randall later reunited with Pitwell in The All Night Workers in October 1967 after working as a freelance drummer and The Missing Links in the interim.
The new line up lasted until about August 1966 when Kerrison departed and subsequently joined Mick Liddell & Gli Atomi in Rome, Italy. The band recorded the track “La Mia Inghilterra”, after which Kerrison returned to the UK. By February 1967, Kerrison had linked up with Johnny Kidd’s former band, The Pirates. He then played with Episode Six and The Beachcombers. The Dae-b-Four carried on with another drummer.
In March 1967, Rex Brayley struck gold when he joined The Love Affair.
Iain Pitwell meanwhile reunited with Malcolm Randall in The All Night Workers in October 1967.
Notable gigs:
30 March 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, Middlesex with Distortion
20 April 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, Middlesex with Bluesology (featuring future Elton John on piano)
2 July 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Initial Four (Kensington Post)
6 July 1965 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Tribe (Kensington Post)
24 August 1965 – Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, west London
Many thanks to Rex Brayley for the photos and input. Thanks also to Iain Pitwell, John Kerrison and Malcolm Randall. Thanks to Don Hughes too for his help in piecing the story together.
Don Hughes is selling a three-track picture sleeve single, with three previously unreleased tracks. For more information, email: donhughes345@btinternet.com
Kenny Slade lineup, 1964. From left to right: Rex Brayley, Roger Sidey, Kenny Slade and Brian BrayleyNewspaper clipping, 1 October 1965Gig, 25 September 1965
Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement, clockwise from front: Ron Thomas, Mick Fletcher, Gary Hamilton, Tony Sinclair, Mel Wayne, Dave Mahoney and (sitting down) Phil Wainman. All except Gary Hamilton (and John Droy, not in photo) were in The New Generation (version 2) backing Jimmy Cliff.
Jamaican reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is best known to international audiences for the songs “Sitting in Limbo”, “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross”, taken from the 1972 soundtrack album The Harder They Come. One of the first artists to introduce reggae to a wider audience, Cliff started performing in his native Jamaica during the early 1960s where he was spotted by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who brought him to England in October/November 1965.
Over the next four years, Cliff worked the UK club scene with a series of backing groups – The New Generation, The Sound System, Dave Anthony’s Moods, The Soul System (aka The Attack), The Shakedown Sound (December 1966-February 1968) and The Wynder K Frog Band, playing a mixture of soul and R&B.
Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation
(November 1965-February 1966)
Jimmy Cliff – lead vocals Dave Pegg – lead guitar Graham Gallery – bass Dave Brown – organ Frank Devine – drums Ayshea Brough – vocals Pete Hodge(s) – vocals
Cliff’s first band, The New Generation, was a Birmingham group known as Roy Everett’s Blueshounds, whose most notable member was future Fairport Convention bass player Dave Pegg.
Photo: Blueshounds
The Blueshounds were good mates of The Spencer Davis Group, who put in a good word for the band when Chris Blackwell was looking for musicians to support Cliff on the road. In November 1965, Blackwell released The Spencer Davis Group’s “Keep on Running”, the band’s first number one single.
Photo: Melody Maker, April 1966
Around the same time, Blackwell signed The Blueshounds to the agency he co-ran, West End Promotions Ltd, which also represented The Steampacket, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, The Alex Harvey Go Soul Show, Millie Small, Ayshea Brough and the newly arrived Jimmy Cliff.
With Pete Hodge(s) taking over from Roy Everett, The Blueshounds attended an “audition” recording session at Cecil Sharpe House in London on 23 November 1965 with promoter George Webb (The Spencer Davis Group’s agent) and DJ Alan Freeman.
Also in attendance that day were Jimmy Cliff and Ayshea Brough, a young singer that George Webb was trying to launch on the scene, who’d been working with future Hedgehoppers Anonymous drummer Glenn Martin.
Passing the audition, The Blueshounds were renamed The New Generation and Cliff travelled up to Birmingham to stay with Dave Pegg’s family for about two weeks while rehearsals took place to ready the band for the road. Singers Ayshea Brough and Pete Hodge(s) were also added to the touring band and had their own vocal spots in the show.
The (incomplete) gig listing below, which is taken from Dave Pegg’s scrap book unless otherwise noted), shows that the band’s debut took place at the Ritz Ballroom in King’s Heath, West Midlands in mid-December.
For most of these gigs, the band was billed as The New Generation, although the Marquee gigs list them as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound. The only exception is a show at the Cue Club in Paddington, central London on 28 January where the band was billed as The Sound System, which may originally have been assigned for Cliff’s second support group (see below), although Dave Pegg’s version did honour this gig.
Notable gigs (from Dave Pegg’s diary unless noted)
15 December 1965 – The Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands
17 December 1965 – The Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands with Steampacket and Graham Bond
17 December 1965 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham with Steampacket and Graham Bond
23 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
24 December 1965 – Jigsaw, Manchester with Jimmy Powell 5 Dimensions (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (Billed as Explosive Jimmy Cliff, The New Generation, Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
26 December 1965 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and The Tribe (Evening Sentinel) (billed as Jimmy Cliffe, Ayshea, Peter Hodges and The New Generation). This is missing from Dave Pegg’s list
31 December 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Nottingham Evening Post)
3 January 1966 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
6 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) Says back by demand
14 January 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
15 January 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News) (billed as Jimmy Cliff plus New Generations Plus Ashea Plus Pete Hodges)
16 January 1966 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, south east London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
22 January 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
23 January 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News) (billed as the Explosive Jimmy Cliff with New Generation, Pete Hodges and Ayshea) Replaced Manfred Mann
27 January 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Steampacket
28 January 1966 – The Cue Club, central Paddington (billed as Jimmy Cliff, Owen Gray, Ayshea and The Sound System)
29 January 1966 – The Ricky Tick, Clewer Mead, Windsor, Berkshire
30 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
4 February 1966 – Bluesville R&B Club, Manor House, Finsbury Park, north London (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation featuring Ayesha and Pete Hodge)
5 February 1966 – Chelsea College, south west London with The Spencer Davis Group
It’s not entirely clear why Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation went their separate ways in early February 1966. Dave Pegg’s diary shows that a gig planned for 6 February was cancelled and on 13 February he was back in Birmingham working with a new band – The Uglys.
Aldershot News does list Jimmy Cliff playing at Farnborough Town Hall on 9 February but this may not have happened.
The decision to find a second band to back Cliff on the road was probably made in mid-late January and Chris Blackwell already knew who he wanted for the job.
Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation
(February-July 1966)
Jimmy Cliff – lead vocals Tony Sinclair – lead guitar Ron Thomas – bass Mick Fletcher – organ John Droy – trumpet Mel Wayne – sax Dave Mahoney – sax Pete Hodges – vocals Ayshea Brough – vocals Phil Wainman – drums
The next group to back Jimmy Cliff on the road was also, somewhat confusingly, initially billed as The New Generation, although they also used the name The Sound System. Promoters added to the confusion by sometimes billing the band as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound and The Jimmy Cliff Sound.
The Sound System, as they became around early January, had originally been called The Phil Wainman Band/Set. Phil Wainman, who years later found fame as a noted producer among other things, had first started out as a drummer in the early 1960s, working with The Hi Grades in Sweden and The Paramounts before linking up with the remnants of west London band, The All-Nite Workers around October 1965.
Ron Thomas, Mel Wayne and Dave Mahoney had all been members of this group, which had morphed out of Mike Dee & The Prophets in early-mid 1965. Mick Fletcher joined from The Epitaph Soul Band when it became The Phil Wainman Band/Set around October 1965 after briefly playing in The Herd while Tony Sinclair and John Droy came in soon after, the former from Johnny Halliday’s band in France.
According to David Katz’s excellent book, Jimmy Cliff – An Unauthorised Biography, The Phil Wainman Band/Set secured a residency at Dolly’s Club in Jermyn Street in central London around November of that year. One night Chris Blackwell dropped in and introduced himself.
After be-friending Wainman, he kept the musicians in mind as a support band for the Jamaican acts on Island Records’ roster, including Jackie Edwards, Millie Small and Owen Gray.
Changing name to The Sound System, Wainman’s band started rehearsing with these acts in late January and one early gig, backing Owen Gray, took place at the New All Star Club in Artillery Passage near Liverpool Street station, London on 5 February 1966.
Around this time, it became clear that Cliff and the original New Generation would be separating so Wainman’s band started rehearsing with the singer when he wasn’t gigging with Dave Pegg’s group. After a few weeks’ rehearsals, Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation debuted at the Marquee on 10 February, billed as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound.
Over the next four and half months, Wainman’s band backed Cliff on the road, which included a package tour with The Who and The Spencer Davis Group in April 1966. It was during this time that Keith Moon spotted Wainman’s Red Sparkle Premier drum kit with two bass drums and decided to switch to the same set up two months later.
According to Wainman, Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation were particularly popular in Grimsby and played there at least once a month. They also played four nights at the Penthouse.
However, some time in late July 1966, Jimmy Cliff and The Sound System/New Generation went their separate ways.
It’s not clear who backed Jimmy Cliff for a series of gigs that took place at London’s Whisky A Go Go on 9, 16 and 23 August as no support band is listed in Melody Maker, but he was joined by Dave Anthony’s Moods and The Soul System (aka The Attack) at some point during this period.
In December 1966, Jimmy Cliff hooked up with his next group, The Shakedown Sound with whom he worked with until February 1968. He then joined forces with Wynder K Frog.
As for The Sound System, the musicians joined forces with singer Gary Hamilton who was putting together a new version of Hamilton & The Movement (see future entry).
Notable gigs:
10 February 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
13 February 1966 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
15 February 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (billed as Explosive Jimmy Cliff, The New Generation, Pete Hodges and Ayshea)
19 February 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation, with Ayshea and Pete Hodge)
20 February 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
21 February 1966 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Lee, Eddie Showgroup, The Wall City Jazzmen and The Style (Cheshire Observer) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
24 February 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
25 February 1966 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, west London (Hayes Gazette)
3 March 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
4 March 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands with The Ugly and The Craig (Birmingham Evening Mail) Dave Pegg from the first New Generation was on bass with The Uglys
8 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
11 March 1966 – Rialto, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
12 March 1966 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea)
20 March 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star) (billed as Jimmy Cliff, Aysha and The New Generation)
25 March 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough with The Warriors (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
26 March 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation and Pete Hodge)
27 March 1966 – Shakespeare Hotel, Woolwich, south east London (South East London Mercury) (billed as Jimmy Cliff)
3 April 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
4 April 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 April 1966 – El Partido, Lewisham, south east London with The Raisons (South East London Mercury)
10 April 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
11 April 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle) Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System
14 April 1966 – Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, Hants with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
15 April 1966 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon, south London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
16 April 1966 – Odeon, Watford, Herts with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
17 April 1966 – Regal Theatre, Edmonton, north London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
10 May 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Sound)
13 May 1966 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
15 May 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & Package Show)
16 May 1966 – The Beachcomber, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post) Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound Systems
20 May 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
21 May 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire Times) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation and straight from the Flamingo, central London)
22 May 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
2 June 1966 – Black Horse, Northfield, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) (Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
4 June 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Show)
6 June 1966 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with The Max Colley Jazzband, The Wall City Jazzmen and The Connoisseurs (Cheshire Observer) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & Group)
8-11 June 1966 – Penthouse, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Show) Says direct from Tiles
12 June 1966 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry (Coventry Evening Telegraph) (billed as the Explosive Jimmy Cliff)
14 June 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Sound)
18 June 1966 – Stamford Hotel, Stamford, Lincolnshire (Stamford Mercury) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
19 June 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
25 June 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generations)
26 June 1966 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System with Pete Hodges)
1 July 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Him & The Others (website: https://www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
2 July 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 July 1966 – Hull College of Technology Students’ Union, Skyline Ballroom, Hull with The Small Faces, The Mike Cotton Sound, Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers, The Mode and Eddie Gray & His Band (Hull Daily Mail) (Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
17 July 1966 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generations)
22 July 1966 – Royal Oak, Hockley Heath, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
23 July 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Says with New Generation
23 July 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker)
30 July 1966 – The Beachcomber, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post) Possibly the band’s final gig before split with Cliff and teaming up with Gary Hamilton
I’d like to thank the following for their help in piecing this story together: Dave Pegg, David Katz, Laurie Hornsby, Andy Neill, Ron Thomas, Phil Wainman, Mel Wayne and Brian Hosking.
The Others, circa 1964, from left to right Pete Hammerton, Geoff Coxon, Bob Freeman (Rob Tolchard), Paul Stewart and Ian McLintock.
The Others, 1963-64
By Rob Tolchard
Formed in the summer of 1963 in the rural riverside south-west London suburb of Hampton, The Others were originally a bunch of rebellious schoolmates. Fired up by the Richmond Sound, spearheaded by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds – the south’s answer to the Liverpool Sound – The Others picked up the baton and ran with it, swiftly building a devoted fan-base of their own and a circuit of regular gigs, hot on the heels of the slightly more senior bands who had inspired them before leaving town for international acclaim.
The look was long-haired bohemian, the music was Chicago rhythm’n’blues and the interest from local and national media secured them a London management/agency contract, a record deal and teen-magazine features by the fistfull as they tore up and down the length of Britain in a van covered in adoring messages written in lipstick. They were still not even old enough to drive legally.
In the summer of 1964, they recorded their one and only record, Bo Diddley’s “Oh Yeah”, on Polydor (TF 501) but by the time of its release, parental pressure had forced two of their number, John Standley (lead guitar) and Nigel Baldwin (drums) to quit the band and return to school to study for their “A”-level exams. They were replaced by Peter Hammerton on guitar and Geoff Coxon on drums, who feature in the promotional shots for the record. The band attained a new excellence, “very much in the same class as the Yardbirds” according to Brian May of Queen, a former schoolmate and the record was a turntable hit on the rock radio programmes of the day and was highly praised by Jimmy Saville in his national press pop column.
But it wasn’t to last. Paul Stewart, their charismatic lead singer and mouth-harp player was also under extreme parental pressure to return to academic endeavours and, tired of living in a car in a rented garage, he gave in, cut his hair, was allowed back home and returned to Hampton Grammar School in late October 1964.
That was effectively the end of The Others, who should have achieved so much more. Their record has become a collectors’ item and Brian May’s early band, “1984” (later “Smile”) used to include The Others’ self-penned “B”-side, “I’m Taking Her Home” in their own repertoire. The other two original members of The Others, Bob Freeman (rhythm guitar/harp) and Ian McLintock (bass) remained in the industry and continued to make music, but never again came as close to stardom as did their first band.
Pete Hammerton, Geoff Coxon, Bob Freeman (now re-named Rob Tolchard to avoid confusion with the Beatles’ photographer) and Paul Stewart remained in touch and have reformed The Others, in order to perform heavily re-arranged revisitations of the old classic repertoire. What a vintage.
1964 gig (see comments below)1965 gig (see comments below)
The original Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers, 1961 Left to right: Brian Mansell, Brian Sell, Terry Mabey, Mick Wheeler and Dave Tippler (photo from Brian Mansell).
Mike Dee – lead vocals Brian Sell – lead guitar Brian Mansell – rhythm guitar Dave Tippler –bass Terry Mabey – drums
Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers was formed in February 1961 but had been active for several years before Dee (real name Mick Wheeler) was invited to join as lead singer. Wheeler had known Brian Sell from his childhood in Twickenham, Middlesex. Around 1957, while in their early teens, they had played skiffle together at Kneller School in Twickenham. Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey had also attended Kneller School and like Brian Sell were in the year below Wheeler. When Kneller shut, all of the musicians went to Whitton Secondary in Whitton, Middlesex.
Brian Sell had come up with the band name after seeing a sign for jaywalking while on the bus in Twickenham. The original band, comprising Brian Sell, Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey, was formed in 1959 and initially also included future Animals guitarist Vic Briggs. The Jaywalkers debuted at Zeeta’s in Putney but soon after Briggs left and the band took on lead singer Denny De Banks, who was two years older than the rest of the group.
According to Brian Mansell’s diary from this period, two of Denny & The Jaywalkers’ earliest gigs were a show at Whitton Secondary School on 16 December 1960 and a wedding at the Railway Tavern in Feltham, Middlesex on 31 December 1960. On 4 February 1961, Denny & The Jaywalkers came second at the Borough of Twickenham Rhythm Group contest, held at St Mary’s Hall, Twickenham. However, well-known DJ Phil Jay, one of the judges on the panel, was impressed and offered to be their manager.
Not long after Dave Tippler from Feltham, Middlesex joined on bass and may have been present when the group played at the Fountain Public House in Twickenham on 8 February 1961. Around this time Denny De Banks, who had a well-paid job and could not commit to going professional, departed leaving a vacant spot for a new lead singer. It was at this point that Brian Mansell ran into Mick Wheeler in Whitton and invited him to audition. Previous to joining Wheeler had played rhythm guitar in Twickenham band The Paragons, who also included singer Jeff Rolfe, lead guitarist Jimmy Johnson and drummer John Seddon.
According to Brian Mansell’s diary, the band attended an audition at the Carlton Ballroom in Slough on the morning of 19 February 1961 before playing a show at the Southall Community Centre in Southall, Middlesex that evening. Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers passed the audition and got a weekly gig at the Carlton, kicking off with a show on 26 February.
Confirmed gigs:
26 February 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 12 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 19 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 20 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 22 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 25 March 1961 – Isleworth Polytechnic, Isleworth, Middlesex 3 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire with The Dreamers 15 April 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire with Sean Dudley & The Wildcats 17 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire with The Fleereckers 23 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 24 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 26 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 30 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers underwent a significant personnel change with future Deep Purple axe man Ritchie Blackmore replacing Brian Sell around May 1961. Sell had met Blackmore at Dawe Instruments electronics factory in Brentford, Middlesex around 1959 where the latter worked as a trainee electronic wireman. The pair briefly rehearsed together in a trio with drummer Mick Underwood before Sell formed The Jaywalkers and Blackmore and (later) Underwood joined Bobbie & The Dominators. Sell introduced Blackmore to The Jaywalkers but it cost him his place in the band.
Brian Mansell’s diary notes that Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers were due to record for EMI on 14 April 1961 but the session was postponed. A record test for EMI did take place on 21 April, nearly a week after the show at the Essoldo in Slough with Sean Dudley & The Wildcats. It’s quite possible that the recording session did not go well and the band started to look for a replacement for Brian Sell. According to Jerry Bloom in his excellent book “Ritchie Blackmore – Black Knight”, Phil Jay wanted the band to sign with the George Cooper Agency. The band’s manager compered a lot of the Larry Parnes tours and many of the artists that appeared were booked through the agency, which wanted to sign The Jaywalkers up but not with Brian Sell as the guitarist. As a result, Blackmore was recruited as his replacement.
After leaving The Jaywalkers, Sell joined The Bandits. He then played and recorded with Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men before reuniting with Mick Wheeler in The All Night Workers in 1966. Jerry Bloom’s book on Ritchie Blackmore also notes that the new line up got the opportunity to record two tracks for Decca Records for a proposed single – “Stolen Hours” c/w “My Blue Heaven” at the label’s West Hampstead studios but they were subsequently shelved. Brian Mansell’s diary notes that the band recorded in the morning on 27 September 1961 before playing a show at the Carlton Ballroom in Slough in that evening.
Left to right: Terry Mabey, Billy Fury, Brian Mansell, Mick Wheeler, Ritchie Blackmore and Dave Tippler at Portsmouth Guild Hall, 21 November 1961
Shortly after a gig in Hemel Hempstead on 18 November 1961, Phil Jay got Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers on to a package tour headlined by Billy Fury and also including Eden Kane, Karl Denver and Shirley Douglas. When Douglas fell ill, Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers got the opportunity to fill in until she got better. However, there was some confusion because Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, who were backing Eden Kane, were also on the tour. Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers’ involvement was cut short after playing two gigs – the first at the Granada in Dartford on 20 November and the second at the Guild Hall in Portsmouth on 21 November (where a photo was taken of the band with Billy Fury) when Douglas returned to the bill. The next day, Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers played in Doncaster supporting Johnny Gentle.
In early 1962, the band dispensed with Phil Jay and signed with the Rudy Stanton Agency. According to Mansell, The Jaywalkers rehearsed with Gene Vincent in a recording studio in London around this time in anticipation for a UK tour. However, the tour was cancelled at the last minute and Vincent returned to the US. During this period, Derek Sirmon, another former Kneller pupil, subbed for Terry Mabey on several occasions when he wasn’t well enough to perform. However, the band’s career was about to come to a halt.
While playing at Southall Community Centre (the most plausible date according to Mansell’s diary is 1 April 1962), Screaming Lord Sutch dropped in and offered Blackmore £40 a week to play with his backing band The Savages. Blackmore jumped at the chance but with a short tour lined up, he asked his friend Dave Wendels to fill in until he could join in mid-May.
A package tour headlined by Gary U.S. Bonds, Johnny Burnette and Gene McDaniel had been booked for April-May 1962. Johnny Milton & The Condors were also lined up to appear with The Condors backing support acts, Rolly Daniels, Danny Rivers and Mark Wynter. However, with all the publicity already made up, Johnny Milton & The Condors split up. With the confusion over the two Jaywalkers, Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers were asked to change name to The Condors and took their place. Mick Wheeler was not invited to participate so he sat out while the others backed the support acts on the 21-date package tour. With the tour winding up on 13 May 1962, Ritchie Blackmore departed for Screaming Lord Sutch’s band and The Jaywalkers disbanded.
In the months that followed, Mick Wheeler abandoned a music career and joined the parachute regiment in the Territorial Army. The singer did his training and gained his wings before returning to the live scene in late 1963 with Mike Dee & The Prophets. In 1966, however, Dee reverted to his real name, Mick Wheeler and formed The All Night Workers before later recording with the UK version of Jo Jo Gunne and fronting a latter day version of The Love Affair.
Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey both worked with Frankie Reid & The Casuals after The Jaywalkers broke up. While Mabey subsequently joined James Royal & The Hawks, Mansell later played with The Missing Links before reuniting with Mick Wheeler in The All Night Workers during spring 1968.
The All Night Workers in late 1966 with Mick Wheeler (aka Mike Dee) centre and Brian Sell (second right). Photo thanks to Mick Wheeler
The following is a list of selected gigs from Mansell’s diary when Ritchie Blackmore was a member:
6 May 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 10 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 13 May 1961 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex 17 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 21 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 27 May 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 31 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 3 June 1961 – Staines Town Hall, Staines, Middlesex 4 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 7 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 12 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 17 June 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 18 June 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 21 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 24 June 1961 – Rugby Football Ground, Twickenham (open air concert) 26 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 28 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 2 July 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 5 July 1961 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 8 July 1961 – Gaumont Pier, Southampton, Hampshire 19 July 1961 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 29 July 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 30 July 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 1 August 1961 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey 2 August 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 August 1961 – Southampton Pier, Southampton, Hampshire 7 August 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 13 August 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 16 August 1961 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 19 August 1961 – Southampton Gaumont, Southampton, Hampshire (morning) 19 August 1961 – Southampton Pier, Southampton, Hampshire (evening) 2 September 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 3 September 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 9 September 1961 – Mental hospital in Basingstoke with Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages 13 September 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 23 September 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 27 September 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 30 September 1961 – Staines Town Hall, Staines, Middlesex 1 October 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 4 October 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 October 1961 – Crown Ballroom, Banbury, Oxfordshire 14 October 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 15 October 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 21 October 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 24 October 1961 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey 28 October 1961 – Southampton Gaumont, Southampton, Hampshire (morning) 28 October 1961 – Southampton Pier, Southampton, Hampshire (evening) 1 November 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 4 November 1961 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire 7 November 1961 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey 8 November 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 17 November 1961 – USAF, Bushy Park, Middlesex 24 November 1961 – Essoldo, Paddington 25 November 1961 – Crawley (possibly Starlight Ballroom), West Sussex 29 November 1961 – Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire 30 November 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 10 December 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (last gig of the year)
I’d especially like to thank Brian Mansell for sharing his diaries with me and for his hospitality. Thanks also to Mick Wheeler, Brian Sell and Jerry Bloom.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email:Warchive@aol.com
Martin Barre (lead guitar, flute) Mick Ketley (keyboards, lead vocals) Bryan Stevens (bass) Malcolm Tomlinson (drums, flute, lead vocals)
1968
August After backing visiting US soul acts as The Noblemen (July-November 1966); working as stax/soul band, The Motivation (November 1966-August 1967); and Mod/psych outfit The Penny Peep Show/Penny Peeps (August 1967-August 1968), the group changes its name to Gethsemane to reflect the burgeoning British blues scene. Soon after, the band’s singer Denny Alexander drops out and keyboard player Mike Ketley and drummer Malcolm Tomlinson assume joint lead vocals.
(11) Barre attends the 8th National Jazz and Blues Festival at Kempton Park, Sunbury, Surrey and catches Jethro Tull, who really impress him. He will audition for the band on a couple of occasions later in the year.
(24) Gethsemane Soul Band play at the Royal Lido in Prestatyn, Wales with The Informers.
(25) Working as a quartet, the band plays one of its first shows as Gethsemane at Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, west London. The band gets an early copy of The Band’s Music From The Big Pink, which is a major influence on Gethesmane’s members. Tomlinson will handle lead vocals on covers of “The Weight” and “Chest Fever”.
(28) Gethsemane play at Eel Pie Island with The Nice and this is the most plausible date.
(31) Billed as Gethsemanie, the band opens the Van Dike Club in Plymouth, Devon with Jethro Tull.
September (9) Geth Semane play at the Aurora Hotel in Gillingham, Kent.
(14) Billed as Geth Semane, the band makes an appearance at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London on a star-studded bill that also includes The Scaffold, David Bowie and Junior’s Eyes. DJ John Peel, who is allegedly a huge fan, records the band’s set and plays it on his radio show the following week.
(18) Gethsemane are hired to participate in a studio session with guitarist Jeff Beck (which most likely takes place on this date) but the session does not go well and is aborted.
(22) Billed as Geth And Semane, the quartet play at the Linden Sports Club in Bournemouth, Dorset.
(28) Gethsemane play at the Stage Club in Oxford.
October (5) Gethsemane support Fleetwood Mac at the Links, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire.
(7) Billed as Gethsemaney, the quartet appear at Samantha’s in the Langland Bay Hotel in Swansea, South Wales with The Liquid Umbrella.
(16) Billed as Geth Semane, they replace The Keef Hartley Band at Rambling Jack’s Blues Club at the Railway Hotel in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts.
(21) They appear at the Blue Horizon club in the Nag’s Head in Battersea, southwest London.
(23) Billed as Geth Semane, they open for Alan Bown at Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, Middlesex.
(28) Malcolm Tomlinson is hired to back Elton John on a BBC radio session at Agolin Hall. Joined by bass player Boots Slade and guitarist Caleb Quaye, the band records “Lady Samantha”, “Across The Havens” and “Skyline Pigeon”. The three songs are played on BBC radio’s Stuart Henry Show the following week.
November Gethsemane pique the interest of Bee Gees producer Robert Stigwood, who signs them to Dick James Music. The plan is to record an album and the band cuts a version of Elton John’s “Lady Samantha”. They also cut a version of Jack McDuff’s “Grease Monkey” but it is shelved after the album sessions are brought to a close following a disagreement over direction with Stigwood. Incidentally, Alan Gorey from flat mates Hopscotch plays bass and sings on one of the recordings.
(6) Billed as Geth Semane, they return to the Railway Hotel in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts for a show supported by White Mule.
(8) Gethsemane appear at the Industrial Club in Norwich. The advert says that the group has played the Marquee and the Middle Earth in Covent Garden
(11) Billed as Geth Semane, the band appear at the Staffordshire Yeoman, Stafford, Staffordshire
(13) The quartet plays at the Thing-A-Me-Jig in Reading, Berkshire.
(14) Billed as Gethsemany, the band appears at the Club Lafayatte in Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Barmy Barry.
(15) Gethsemane support Jethro Tull at the Hornsey Wood Tavern in Finsbury Park, London. Guitarist Martin Barre will audition unsuccessfully for the guitar spot in Jethro Tull shortly afterwards.
(26) Gethsemane appear at the Crown Hotel, Birmingham with The Redhouse Blues Band.
December (12) Gethsemane open for Pink Floyd at the Dundee College of Art in Dundee, Scotland.
(20) Westminster & Pimlico News‘ 20 December issue reports that Gethsemane have played at the Pheasantry on Kings Road recently. Around this time, the band plays its final show at a college in Brook Green, Hammersmith, having already decided to split up. Terry Ellis from Island Records attends the show and tries in vain to sign the band, but no one is interested. Ellis suggests that Barre audition for the lead guitar spot in Jethro Tull. Stevens sells his bass and uses the money to help finance his studies. He returns to college and later becomes a surveyor. Stevens currently lives in Chiswick. Ketley switches from keyboards to bass and reunites with Tomlinson’s predecessor Bernie Smith in the Southcoast band The Concords. He later becomes senior director at Yamaha Kemble Music UK Limited.
(24) Barre joins Jethro Tull after successfully auditioning a second time. His former band mate Malcolm Tomlinson allegedly also tries out on guitar as does his friend Louis McKelvey, who returned from Canada in July 1968 after playing in Influence. Barre and Tomlinson have visited McKelvey at his Colville Square home near Portobello Market.
(30) Barre makes his debut with Jethro Tull at the Winter Gardens in Penzance, Cornwall.
1969
January After reuniting with Louis McKelvey, who had worked with Tomlinson in the early 1960s Ealing band, Jeff Curtis & The Flames, the drummer leaves the UK with McKelvey and moves to Toronto where they form Milkwood. The band appears at the famous Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival show in September 1969 and record an unreleased LP for Polydor with Jerry Ragavoy producing. Tomlinson will go on to appear on recordings by Jay Telfer, Life, JFC Heartbeat, Rick James & The Stone City Band and Bearfoot among others before issuing two solo albums for A&M in 1977 and 1979 – Coming Outta Nowhere and Rock ‘N’ Roll Hermit. He later sings with The Cameo Blues Band but dies in April 2016.
Sources: The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rythmn and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957-1969 by Steve Ingless, Scila Productions, 1999. Flying Colours by Greg Russo, Crossfire Publications, 2009. The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s by Mike Read, Woodfield Publishing, 2001.
Many thanks to Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley, Malcolm Tomlinson, Denny Alexander, Louis McKelvey, Greg Russo and Rosemary White.
Disclaimer: Concert adverts have been sourced from a number of music magazines and regional newspapers listed below. They have been reproduced fairly for research purposes and are not to be copied for any other use.
Live dates sourced from a number of sources including: Melody Maker, Western Evening Herald, Oxford Mail, Wrexham Leader. See other newspapers sources in the comments below.
The Penny Peepshow in 1968, clockwise from centre: Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Mike Ketley and Bryan Stevens
Denny Alexander (lead vocals) Martin Barre (lead guitar) Mick Ketley (keyboards, vocals) Bryan Stevens (bass) Malcolm Tomlinson (drums, vocals)
1967
August Having worked as The Motivation since November 1966, the latest line up returns from London to Bognor Regis to reinvent themselves. Eschewing their stax/soul sound and covers material, the band embraces the burgeoning psychedelic scene while singer Denny Alexander starts to write a batch of strong original material for the band. Initially, The Motivation work under the name The Penny Peepshow.
September (15-16) Having rehearsed the new material at the Shoreline Club in Bognor Regis, The Penny Peep Show begin to gig nationally. One of their first shows takes place at the Gala Ballroom in Norwich, Norfolk with Alex Wilson’s Sect and Chances of Life.
(17) The group travels across to the West Midlands for a concert at the Swan in Yardley with Jigsaw.
(23) The band plays at the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(25) The Penny Peep Show appear at the Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Sight and Sound.
(29) The group plays at the Blue Powder Discotheque in Bilston Town Hall, Bilston, West Midlands.
October (7) The band returns to the Birmingham area to play a show at the Penthouse in the city centre with New Zealand band, The Human Instinct.
(14) The Penny Peep Show appears at the Flamingo Ballroom, Penzance in Cornwall with The Circuit Five.
(21) The group appears at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(22) The band plays at the Indigo Vat, Southsea, Hampshire.
(26) Billed as The Penny Peeps they play at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire.
November (3) Returning to the West Midlands, they play at the Penthouse in Birmingham.
(4) The Penny Peep Show perform at the Ringway Club in Birmingham. Around this time they also play the freshers’ ball at Birmingham University where Bryan Stevens meets his future wife.
(9) The group appears at Carnival Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire with The Wrong Direction.
(10) Originally booked to play at the Royal Ballrooms in the Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset, The Just Us is listed on the day the Bournemouth Evening Echo is printed. However, they may have played the day before after or before the Basingstoke gig.
(11) The group appears at St Nicholas Chamberlaine School in Bedworth, Warwickshire with The Matadors.
(19) Direct from London The Penny Peep Show appear at the Tudor Club, Mercers Arms in Coventry.
(24) One night at the 76 Club in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
December (1) The Penny Peep Show play at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(2) The band appears at Willenhall Baths Assembly Hall, Willenhall, West Midlands with The Bostons.
(3) The musicians return to the south coast and play at the Indigo Vat in Southsea, Hampshire.
(8) The Penny Peep Show play at the Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(10) Another show takes place in the West Midlands with the band appearing at the Swan, Yardley with Magazine.
(20) The band performs at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(23) The Penny Peep Show play at the Indigo Vat in Southsea, Hampshire.
(25) Through Pete Hockham, formely an agent at Bob Gaitley’s Beat Ballad and Blues Agency in Worthing and now working for the recently deceased Brian Epstein’s North End Music Stores (NEMS) agency, The Penny Peep Show sign to NEMS. They start to perform on the London scene with a show at the popular nightclub, Hatchettes on Piccadilly.
(30) The group appears at the Wellington Club in Dereham, Norfolk with The Special Offer.
1968
January The Penny Peep Show sign a deal with Liberty Records and begin recording over an album’s worth of original material, most of which comprise demos. Alexander has acquired a songwriting contract with Metric Music, which requires him to produce a certain amount of songs in a given period. The band are paid as session musicians to record the demos in a studio behind the Marquee in Wardour Street. A couple of Alexander’s strongest numbers – “Helen Doesn’t Care” and “Into My Life She Came”, the latter featuring Barre on flute, will surface decades later on Rev-Ola’s compilation CD Psychedelic Jumble Volume One in 2007.
(2) Billed as The Penny Peeps, the musicians appear at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire.
(5) The band returns to play at the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(28) The Penny Peep Show play at the Castaways Discotheque in Birmingham with The Stretch Wilcox Limbo Dancers.
February (2) The Penny Peep Show appear at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(8) Billed as The Penny Peeps, the band makes a notable appearance at the 100 Club on London’s Oxford Street with The Mike Stuart Span.
(9) Reverting back to The Penny Peep Show, they travel to Nottingham to play at the Nottingham Boat Club.
(11) The next day, the band appears at the Blue Ball Hotel in Risley, Derby.
(16) Liberty Records releases The Penny Peeps’ debut single, a cover of Les Reed and Barry Mason’s “Little Man With A Stick” backed by Alexander’s mod rocker “Model Village”, which becomes a cult classic and is picked up for various compilation albums over the years, most notably the Rubble CD Acid Drops, Spacedust and Flying Saucers. The band, however, is not happy about the decision to release “Little Man With A Stick”. The musicians had lobbied for “Model Village” to be the A-side, backed by another one of Alexander’s numbers, “Meet Me At The Fair”. The latter track remains unreleased until being picked up by Rev-Ola for Psychedelic Jumble Volume One. Tony Blackburn opens his Radio 1 show every morning with “Model Village” for a week but the single fails to chart.
(17) The Penny Peep Show appears at Framlingham Assembly Hall, Framlingham in Suffolk.
(22) Having changed name to The Penny Peeps, the band is invited to back The Scaffold and perform in its own right at the Dome in Brighton on a bill that also features The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
(25) The band (billed as The Penny Peep Show) play at the Cellar Club, the County, in Blaby, Leicestershire.
(28) Returning to London, the band appears at the Speakeasy on Margaret Street.
(29) The Penny Peeps appear at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton.
March(8) The Penny Peeps perform at the Nottingham Boat Club.
(17) The Penny Peeps perform with the Way of Life at the Crown and Cushion Club in Birmingham.
(22) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, they play at the Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire.
(23) The Penny Peeps return to Nottingham for a show at the Beachcomber Club.
(31) The band plays at the Linden Sports Club, Bournemouth, Dorset.
April (3) The Penny Peep Show appear at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(20) The Penny Peeps play at the Cobweb, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex, with Tony Rivers & the Castaways.
(25) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, the band appears at Hatchetts Playground in Piccadilly, central London.
May (3) Billed as The Penny Peeps, they perform at the Nottingham Boat Club.
(12) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, they appear at the Forty Thieves, Swinging Discotheque in Coventry.
(18) The Penny Peeps perform at the Walton Hop in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
(31) The Penny Peep Show appear at the 400 Ballroom in Torquay, Devon
June(6) The group appears at the Summer House, the Portway, Kingswinford, West Midlands.
(15) The Penny Peeps play at the Beachcomber Club in Nottingham.
(16) The band returns to Linden Sports Club, Bournemouth, Dorset.
(21) Liberty Records releases The Penny Peeps’ second single, coupling Alexander’s “I See The Morning” with “Curly, The Knight of The Road” but it fails to chart.
July(2) The Penny Peeps appear at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire.
(13) Another show takes place at the Beachcomber Club.
(18) The Penny Peeps appear at Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Knock-Out.
(25) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, the band returns to London for a show at the Hatchetts Playground.
(27) Billed again as The Penny Peep Show, they appear at Leicester Rowing Club with The Trendmen.
(28) Reverting back to The Penny Peeps, they return to the Linden Sports Club in Bournemouth.
August (2) The group are billed to play at the Bag O’ Nails in Kingley Street, Soho, central London around this time (see below) but it’s not certain they appear.
(3) Billed again as The Penny Peep Show, the band appears at the Swan, Yardley, West Midlands with Gilt Edge. Soon after this gig, The Penny Peep Show are playing at a venue where their current set list meets an icy response. Alexander suggests that they play some blues, which goes down a storm. The band decides to move in a blues rock direction and changes name to Gethsemane. Within a week or so, Alexander opts to leave and Ketley and Tomlinson assume joint lead vocals. Alexander will retire from professional playing and try his hand as a trainee publican. Back in Liverpool, he gathers together some friends and records six tracks during 1972. The songs – “Don’t Let It Rain (Wedding Day)”, “Crossroads of Life”, “My Last Goodbye To You”, “I’d Like To Get To Know You Girl”, “Your Alive” and “Babe I Love You” remain unreleased to this day. He subsequently turns his back on the music industry and works in the financial services industry, retiring in the early 2000s.
(4) The Penny Peep Show play at the Walgrave, Coventry.
September (7) Billed as The Penny Peeps they perform (with St John’s Wood) at the Cobweb, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex.
The Penny Peepshow in 1968, clockwise from bottom left: Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Bryan Stevens and Mike Ketley
Sources: Flying Colours by Greg Russo, Crossfire Publications, 2009. The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s by Mike Read, Woodfield Publishing, 2001. The Tapestry of Delights Revisited by Vernon Joynson, Borderline Productions, 2006.
Many thanks to Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson and Mick Capewell.
Disclaimer: Concert adverts have been sourced from a number of music magazines and regional newspapers listed below. They have been reproduced fairly for research purposes and are not to be copied for any other use.
Live dates sourced from various sources, including: Melody Maker, Nottingham Evening Post, Birmingham Evening Mail, Evening Argus (Brighton), Eastern Evening News (Norwich), Ipswich Evening Star. Other newspapers sources are listed in the comments below.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
In Isleworth – Martin Barre, Mike Ketley, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson and Bryan StevensAbove, in Isleworth, left to right: Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Martin Barre (sitting), Bryan Stevens and Mick Ketley
from left: Doug Ayris, John Sergeant (hidden) and Brian Hoskins
The Legend were a Twickenham band that never recorded. Their members were bassist Brian Hoskins, lead guitarist Doug Ayris, Nigel Kingswell on lead vocals and John Sergeant on drums. Hoskins later joined the Kool. John Sergeant sent in the photos here and wrote to me about the band:
As promised here are some photos of myself and the Legend at Firestone’s tyre factory on the Great West Road, at Isleworth, near Heathrow. I look so young I can’t believe that it really is me. Doug Ayris is the one walking off the stage. Brian Hoskins is the one pointing at me! The buggers left me to do a 15 minute drum solo while they went for a pint and to chat up the girls.
We did lots of gigs in and around Twickenham area which took in Isleworth, Feltham R & B Club, Heatham House in Twickenham was one of our regular spots. They still have music and youth work there even now in 2011. Amazing! We must have deafened everybody because we played in a very small room.
All the bands at that time were doing R & B, all Howling Wolf and that sort of thing. We had been doing that stuff too but we discovered Zoot Money, Georgie Fame, plus some soul and out and out rock and roll and that was where we wanted to be. We played a wide range of stuff but NOT the R & B that everybody else was doing. We had Cliff Bennett, Johnny Kidd, the Drifters, the Impressions plus the best stuff of our own groups like the Hollies etc. It was a two guitar, drums and vocals line up and (we were told) was pretty damn good! Loved it anyway.
I am still very friendly with all the other guys in the band and we see each other quite regularly. However, I have lost touch with Brian and have been trying for years to find him. Last time I saw him was at a jam session above his battery business in Slough circa 1970.
The Motivation, 1967, left to right: Bryan Stevens, Malcolm Tomlinson, Jimmy Marsh, Mick Ketley, Chris Rodger and Martin Barre All photos of the band courtesy of Bryan Stevens
Jimmy Marsh (lead vocals) Martin Barre (lead guitar, saxophone) Mick Ketley (keyboards, backing vocals) Bryan Stevens (bass) Chris Rodger (saxophone, trumpet) Malcolm Tomlinson (drums, backing vocals)
1966
October The group evolves out of Bognor Regis group, The Noblemen, which was formed in late 1964 to back South African singer Beau Brummell (aka Mike Bush). Bass player Bryan Stevens (b. 14 November 1943, Laha Datu, North Borneo) and keyboard player Mick Ketley (b. 1 October 1947, Balham, London) have been with the band from the outset. After splitting from Brummell in April 1966, the Noblemen undergo a significant change in personnel when most of the members leave in June. The following month, Stevens and Ketley reorganise The Noblemen bringing in a new singer, Jimmy Marsh (b. 9 April 1941, Carmarthen, Wales). Marsh first met Stevens and Ketley in mid-1964 at the Top Hat in Littlehampton when they were playing with The Detours and he was fronting The Del Mar Trio.
When The Noblemen’s drummer Bernie Smith opts to take up a more regular job, Marsh suggests his former colleague Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex) as his replacement. Tomlinson has worked with Marsh in The Del Mar Trio and James Deane and The London Cats. Before that, he was a member of Jeff Curtis and The Flames. Stevens advertises for a new sax player in the 23 July issue of Melody Maker, which hits the newsstands on 16 July. Former Moonrakers members, Chris Rodger (b. 16 October 1946, Solihull, Warwickshire) and Martin Barre (b. 17 November 1946, Kings Heath, Birmingham) respond to the advert after missing out on a job with Screaming Lord Sutch. On 22 July, Barre buys a saxophone at Sound City in London’s Shaftsbury Avenue for the audition three days later. Both Rodger and Barre are hired for the new line up as sax players, with Rodger doubling up on trumpet and Barre doubling up on lead guitar. In September, the new Noblemen line up moves up to London and shares a flat in Chelsea (and later Gloucester Road). They sign to the Roy Tempest Agency and start backing up visiting US soul acts.
Motivation on Bognor Regis station, late 1966 – left to right: Bryan Stevens, Martin Barre, Mick Ketley, Malcolm Tomlinson, Chris Rodger and Jimmy MarshBognor Regis station, late 1966, left to right: Jimmy Marsh (white top), Martin Barre, Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley, Chris Rodger and Malcolm Tomlinson
November (1-2) Having supported The Vibrations, The Drifters, Lee Dorsey, Edwin Starr and Alvin Robinson as The Noblemen during September-October, the group adopts the more ‘Mod’ sounding name Motivation (although they are sometimes still billed as The Noblemen, at least until early December). As The Motivations, the band plays with Alvin Robinson at the Club Cedar in Birmingham for two nights. Soon after, The Motivations back Robinson at Newcastle University (quite possibly 3 November).
Motivation, Hyde Park, late 1966
(4) Billed as The Noblemen, they begin backing The Coasters with a show at the King Mojo Club in Sheffield with Sonny Childe & The TNT. The Coasters will perform at the Starlite Ballroom in Greenford, west London on 11 November with The Mode but no support group is listed (unless it was The Mode).
(12) Having changed their name to (The) Motivation, they perform at the Oasis club in Manchester with The Coasters and Hari Kari.
(13) The Coasters are billed playing at Tiles on Oxford Street in central London (most likely with Motivation in support). Two days later, The Coasters appear at the Whisky A Go Go. It is around this time that Mike Ketley and Malcolm Tomlinson take up The Coasters’ offer to attend a party where Jimi Hendrix (who had previously played with The Coasters’ support band) is in attendance. The Jimi Hendrix Experience are launched to the British press on 25 November.
(20) After playing at the Cavern in Liverpool with The Coasters the previous day (where they are billed as The Noblemen), Motivation join the soul singers for two shows in Greater Manchester, starting with the Domino Club in Openshaw and culminating with a second gig at the Princess Theatre in Chorlton. A riot takes place at the second venue after disturbances between The Coasters and the rowdy crowd.
(25) Billed as The Noblemen, they support The Coasters at the New Yorker Discotheque in Swindon, Wiltshire. The previous day The Coasters performed at the Whisky A Go Go in Wardour Street, Soho, central London but no support band is listed.
(26) Motivation appear at the Starlight Room at the Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with The Coasters. Also on the bill are Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and Heart & Souls. On the same day, the group supports The Coasters at the Burlesque in Leicester.
(27) The Coasters perform at Kirklevington Country Club in Kirklevington, North Yorkshire. The advert doesn’t list Motivation but presumably they were the backing band.
Syon Park, early 1967
December (4) Having finished supporting soul acts for the Roy Tempest Agency, Motivation begin to work under their own name. On this day, they perform at the Hotel Leofric in Coventry. Motivation are also billed to play at the Stoke Hotel in Guildford on this day with Whisker Davies. It’s not clear if this is the same group; it might have been the Norbury version, which split up in late 1966.
(9) The band appears at the New Yorker Discotheque in Swindon, Wiltshire.
(10) Billed as The Motivations, they play at the Gala Ballroom in Norwich.
Thanks to Peter Ellis for the scan and date
(16) Billed as Lee Dorsey’s backing band, the group appears at the Koo-Koo Byrd Discotheque, Cardiff, Wales.
(17) Motivation perform at the Britannia Rowing Club in Nottingham.
(20) The group appears at the Concorde at the Basset Hotel in Southampton, Hampshire.
(22) A band called The Motivation plays at the Co-Operative Hall in Nuneaton, Warwickshire with The Orange Pips. This may have been the same group as Warwickshire was Martin Barre’s home turf.
(24) The Motivation appear at the Lion Hotel in Warrington, Cheshire with The Fix and The Undertones.
(31) The group heads to Ashford, Kent to see how the year at the ‘2 ‘B’s’ Club with The Suspects.
1967
January (1) The Motivation start the new year with an appearance at the Tavern Club in Dereham, Norfolk.
(6) After playing a gig in Acton, west London on 2 January, The Motivation travel to the southwest and appear at the Winter Gardens Ballroom in Penzance, Cornwall with The Modesty Blues.
(7) Billed as Brian Stevens and The Motivation they appear at the Blue Lagoon in Newquay, Cornwall with The Accoustics.
(8) The band performs at the Bure Country Club in Mudeford in Dorset with The Tension and Lavina Lavells. Rodger says that the club closed after this evening’s show.
(9) The Motivation make an appearance at the New Spot in Thorngate Halls, Gosport, Hampshire. The next day, they play a venue in Portsmouth, most likely a naval base.
(14) They were listed as playing in Bradford, West Yorkshire the previous day, after which The Motivation move south to appear at the New Yorker Discotheque in Swindon, Wiltshire with supporting acts.
(20) The group appears at the Bromel Club in Bromley, Kent.
(21) Motivation travel to Norfolk and play a show at the Royal Links Pavilion in Cromer with Soul Concern.
(24) Having played a gig in the Bournemouth area on 22 January, the band performs a show at the Concorde at the Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire. Before the end of the month, they appear at a club in Ashford, Kent.
February (3) Not listed in Bryan Stevens gig diary, The Motivation play at the Kingfisher Hall in Redditch, Worcestershire. This might have been another version of The Motivation but it’s close to Martin Barre’s home town.
(4) Another gig that is not listed in Stevens’ gig diary is a show at Maidstone Corn Exchange in Maidstone, Kent with The Blues System. However, on the same day the band does return to the ‘2 ‘B’s’ Club in Ashford, Kent so perhaps they played both on the same day as the towns are close together.
(5) The group travels back to Norfolk to play the Tavern Club in Dereham on a bill that also features The Barry Lee Show.
(6) The Motivation play their first show at the famous Marquee club, opening for The Herd.
(7) The band appears at Kodak Hall, Harrow, west London with The Beachcombers.
(9) The Motivation play at the New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with Ziggy Turner Combo.
(10) The group travels to the Birmingham area and performs at the Carlton Ballroom in Erdington, billed as The Fantastic Motivations. The next day, they head to the Southwest and play a venue (possibly the town hall) in Exeter, Devon.
(13) The band appears at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset. The next day, The Motivation travel to Portsmouth and make an appearance at a venue in the city (possibly another naval gig).
(16) The Motivation head to Oxfordshire and perform for the Royal Air Force at RAF Benson.
(17) The day after, the band returns to London and appears at the Cooks Ferry Inn in Edmonton with John Evan Smash (who will morph in to Jethro Tull, a band that Barre will join in December 1968). There is a gap in the bookings until 25 February when The Motivation play an Oxford University college. The day after, they perform in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
March (1) Not listed in Bryan Stevens’ gig diary, the group appears at the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset, which is a venue they will return to a lot over the next year.
(4) The musicians return to London and perform at Tiles on Oxford Street with C Jam Blues and Malcolm Magaron.
(6) The Motivation head back to the Marquee for a second show supporting The Herd. On 8 March, the band leaves for Rome, Italy to hold down a four-week residency at the Piper Club. After driving for 60 hours, they arrive on 11 March and start that night. Gigs at the Imperial Club, Redditch, Worcestershire (as The Motivations) on 26 March and 9 April would have been cancelled.
(11) – April (13) The band plays at the Piper Club for four weeks. While playing at the club, Ray Charles’s dancers come in one evening and dance to the band’s set. Some of The Rolling Stones’ entourage visit the club while The Motivation are playing. The Rolling Stones are playing in Rome on 6 April and there is talk about getting the band on the Stones’ tour as a warm up act. No commitment comes from the discussions. Jimmy Marsh punctures his vocal chords and returns home. Marsh drops out of the music business, only resurfacing briefly in the early 1980s with the short-lived west London band, A Touch of Gold. Marsh died on 13 April 2020.
By the river near Syon Park, spring 1967, left to right: Chris Rodger, Martin Barre, Mick Ketley, Jimmy Marsh, Malcolm Tomlinson and Bryan Stevens
(14) With Ketley assuming lead vocals, they head for Livorno to play at the Piper Club there for three consecutive weekends. Various gigs advertised in England this month are cancelled, including the New Yorker Discotheque in Swindon.
(15-16) The Motivation play at the Piper Club in Livorno this weekend.
(22-23) The band performs at the Piper Club in Livorno this weekend.
(29-30) The Motivation play at the Piper Club in Livorno this weekend.
May (1) The musicians return to Rome for further gigs. Numerous English gigs billed to The Motivation are subsequently cancelled while the group remains in Italy.
(2-14) The Motivation appears at the Cabala Club in Rome. While there Lord Snowdon comes up to the stage one night and requests the band plays Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String”.
(27) Having arrived back in England the previous week and taking a week off, The Motivation appear at the Playboy Club on Park Lane, central London. It is Rodger’s final gig and he leaves the band.
June Stevens and Ketley remember a talented singer from Liverpool band, The Clayton Squares, who had shared the stage with Beau Brummell & The Noblemen in West Germany in March 1966 – Denny Alexander (b. 10 March 1946, Liverpool). The Clayton Squares have recorded two brilliant singles for Decca before splitting in late 1966. Alexander, who has gone on to sing with The Thoughts, is invited to join The Motivation and fulfil outstanding dates. The group rehearses new material at the Shoreline Club in Bognor Regis.
(27) The new line-up appears at the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
July(1) In what is one of their most high-profile shows, The Motivation support Cream at the Upper Cut in Forest Gate, east London.
(3) The group returns to the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(7) The Motivation plays at the Warwick Arms, Redditch, Worcestershire with Hedgehoppers Anonymous.
August (4) The group plays at Caesar’s Place, the Mulberry Tree in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire with The Agency.
(5) The Motivation travel to the Birmingham area and appear at the Carlton Ballroom in Erdington, which is followed by a second show on the same night at the Elbow Room in Aston.
(6) The group appears at the Casablanca Club in the Sportsman’s Arms, Allesley, Coventry.
(11) The band plays at the Beeches Barn Theatre in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
(19) They return to the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(20) The next day, the band plays at the Indigo Vat in Southsea, Hampshire.
(25) The Motivation play at Chateau Ipney in Droitwich, Worcestershire. The band’s stax/soul sound is becoming increasingly outdated as the psychedelic scene blossoms. The Motivation return to Bognor Regis and rehearse a new act, introducing Alexander’s strong original material into the set and changing name to The Penny Peep Show.
Sources:
Flying Colours by Greg Russo, Crossfire Publications, 2009. The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s by Mike Read, Woodfield Publishing, 2001.
Many thanks to Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley, Chris Rodger, Jimmy Marsh, Malcolm Tomlinson, Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Dave Allen, Nigel Norman, Mick Capewell, Chris Bishop and Sylvia Stephen.
Thank you Bryan for The Motivation gig listing for January/February 1967 and Ian Green for some additional dates.
Disclaimer: Concert adverts have been sourced from a number of music magazines and regional newspapers listed below. They have been reproduced fairly for research purposes and are not to be copied for any other use.
Additional concert listings sourced from Melody Maker, Nottingham Evening Post, the Liverpool Echo, the Manchester Evening News, Birmingham Evening Mail, Bournemouth Evening Echo, Southern Evening Echo, Portsmouth Evening Argus, Portsmouth News, Sheffield Star, Coventry Evening Telegraph, Harrow Observer, Cornish Guardian, The Cornishman, the Lincolnshire Standard and Eastern Evening News. The comments section below also lists some additional gigs.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
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
(26) Gethsemane appear at the Crown Hotel, Birmingham with The Redhouse Blues Band.
