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 are advertised to perform at the Hotel Leofric in Coventry but a story in the Coventry Evening Telegraph notes they did not appear as their van broke down. 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. (Note: The Motivation that supports The Who at Wem Town Hall, Shropshire on 11 March is a different band)
(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 or are performed by another band called (The) Motivation.
(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, including a show at Guildford Civic Hall on 6 May and gigs in Staffordshire and Cheshire (unless this is by another band with the same name).
(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
The Monotones’ first rhythm guitarist Ian Middlemiss sent these photos and clippings of his time in the band from 1958-1962.
The photo captions are by Ian:
Earliest photo of the Monotones at St Cedds Church gig early in 1960 From left: Pete Stanley, Brian Alexander, Ian Middlemiss, Nigel Basham, and Barry DavisIan Middlemiss with a Hofner Club 50 (?), never stayed in tune for more than 10 mins. June 1960, venue cannot rememberA clip from the local paper, gig at St Cedds in May 1961St Cedds May ’61. Clearly this is in open E. Middlemiss has got a Strat copy, Alexander exploring the possibilities of the Mixolydian mode in position 1? This I doubt. Alexander’s thrashing about trying to find notes that roughly match the melody.April 1962, from left: Jim Eaton, Barry Davis, Paul Dunning, Brian Alexander and Ian Middlemiss. Stanley got fed up and had a six month sabbatical. He did come back eventually.From left: Nigel Basham, Barry Davis, Paul Dunning, Brian Alexander and Ian Middlemiss. A half decent shot of Stanley’s bass made by his Dad. Basham and Eaton shared the vocals or should I say Mark Lloyd and Thurston Crane (tee-hee). In 1962 to sing vocals you had to wear a suit and tie and pretend that you were a gentleman.200 people at 2/6 a pop = £50 divided by 5 = £10 per member which is more than a 1960s weekly wage. Remember most of us were at WHSB and you get a 5 gallons of petrol for £1, pie and chips for 1/6d and get trousered for £2. No small wonder that Brian A. hired the White Hall for our debut performance. The downside of the White Hall was that they had no alcohol license. Brian hired the dance hall at the Elms which was much bigger (300). An immediate success but the manager saw the potential and in the end got the beer money and the gate. We were not too bothered, the ladies were more important.Who were the Strangers, Ebonies and O B Swing 5?
The Krisis were a mystery when Jean-Pierre Coumans sent in a photo of them, adding “the back of the photo has a stamp of a Dutch promotion bureau with tel. number + a foreign tel. number with at the end handwritten: UK. So an English band but from where? Wonder if these guys released anything on vinyl?”
In early 2014 I heard from Tony Norton, who wrote:
The band were from Harlesden in London and were gigging in 1968.
From left to right they are:
Tony Baggett – bass Stuart Sanders – guitar Roger Grey – drums – owned a recording studio in Wales where Oasis made their first album Baz Knight – vocals – currently a club singer in Teneriffe
You have an early pic as Stuart was only in the band for a short time and was replaced by Colin Bass (guitar) who later joined Camel.
Their roadie also worked for The Honeycombs at the same time.
The Krisis, 1967, from left: Roger Grey, Stuart Sanders, Baz Knight and Tony Baggett
Update 2018: Tony Baggett sent in the color photos, flyer and Melody Maker ad, and gave a history of the group (see his comment below).
Mick Pye sent in these great photos of of an unidentified band possibly from the coastal area south of London. Though nearly identical, there are small differences between the two. Mick tells me these are from glass negatives.
Any help with identifying these musicians would be appreciated. Mick also sent photos of Johnny Devlin and the Detours taken in 1962 or 1963, likely the same time period when these were taken.
Update, November 2012:
Luckily bassist John Garrett saw these photos and wrote to me with some information:
The band in the graveyard were Lee Tracy & The Tributes. Lineup: Lee Tracy (Graham Smithen) lead guitar; Martyn Pearse later to be replaced by Ray Flacke, rhythm guitar; Nick O’Brian; me, John Garrett on bass and Chris Hunt drums. The band members were from Arundel & Bognor.
The photo was taken in 1963. We played at most of the local venues: Top Hat, Mexican Hat, Rex Ballroom, The Green Topper, plus all the surrounding village halls. More information can be found in Mike Read’s book, The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960′s.
1962 or 1963, from left: Arthur Biggs, Bob Pettit, Bernie Smith, Johnny Devlin, Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley, and Chuck Fryers
Mick Pye sent in these great photos of Johnny Devlin & the Detours, who later evolved into the Noblemen. Mick tells me these are from glass negatives, which I would think was an antiquated format for 1962 or 1963.
Notice retouching to remove the background on the promo shot, above.
Bryan Stevens wrote in a comment below with identifying info for the photos. He gives the lineup above as:
Arthur Biggs – rhythm guitar – Burns Black Bison 3 pick up 6 string guitar Bob Pettit – alto/tenor/baritone sax Bernie Smith – drums (replaced Roger Yardley) Johny Devlin – vocals Bryan Stevens – Burns Black Bison bass guitar Mick Ketley – Vox Continental keyboard Chuck Fryers – Lead guitar – Burns Black Bison 4 pick up 6 string guitar
Thank you to Bryan for identifying all the musicians and for sending in the poster below for their upcoming reunion show.
1961 or 1962, clockwise from top left: Roger Yardley, Mick Ketley, Bob Pettit, Johnny Devlin, Bryan Stevens, Arthur Biggs and Chuck Fryers.
Back to the 60’s – Revival Featuring The Detours, Johnny Devlin, The Diamonds, Dave Hooper, The Southbeats, Roy Haines of the Fenmen, The Concords, Colin Madeley and Cosy. Riverside, February 18, 2012Johnny Devlin & the Detours, The Post, January 25, 1964, submitted by Nick Warburton
The Kool, late 1967, from left: Jet Hodges, Dave Carol, Ray Brown, Pete Burt and Jeff Curtis (aka David Myers), photo courtesy Ray Brown
The Kool #1 (August-December 1967)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Ray Brown – bass, vocals Pete Burt – drums
Originally known as Jeff Curtis & The Flames, their manager, rock promoter Mervyn Conn changed their name to The Kool around August 1967.
Signing the band to CBS Records, Conn used The Ivy League and session musicians, including drummer Clem Cattini, to record Tony Macauley and John MacLeod’s poppy “Look at Me, Look at Me”, which was backed by the soulful “Room at the Top” (credited to Curtis’s real name: David Myers but actually a co-write with Ray Brown and originally cut as a demo by Jeff Curtis & The Flames around May 1966).
The A-side only features Ray Brown from the band who provides the lead vocal and is surrounded by the massed vocals of The Ivy League. The B-side is notable for its use of horns and cello and has a soulful feel with Jeff Curtis’s gravelly voice to the fore.
Produced by Mervyn Conn and arranged by Keith Mansfield, the single was released on 12 October 1967 but did not chart despite being plugged by DJ Tony Blackburn on Radio 1.
During the same session, Conn used The Ivy League as singers on an excellent version of “Step Out of Your Mind”, previously recorded and released in the United States by The American Breed, and a cover of Ralph Murphy’s “Funny What a Fool Can Be”. Like the previous B-side, Jeff Curtis sang lead vocals on this track and the band members are featured on the recording.
The two tracks were coupled for a second single, issued, and then mysteriously withdrawn, in limited edition, around December 1967.
That same month, the band played at Coronation Hall in Kingston with PP Arnold, after which Ray Brown departed to reunite with Steve Reading and Mickey Baker from his 1950s band, The Sky Blue Skiffle Group, in a new outfit called Champagne. During 1968, Champagne shared the bill with The Kool at Kew Boathouse. In 1969, Brown joined The Magic Roundabout.
With Ray Brown out of the picture, The Kool carried on, bringing in new bass player Brian Hosking.
Notable gigs:
Photo: Wakefield Express
9 September 1967 – Boogaloo, Castleford, West Yorkshire Billed as The Cool so may be another band
Photo: Ampthill News & Flintwick Record
15 September 1967 – Cesar’s Club, Bedford with The 100w Carnation
1 December 1967 – Coronation Hall, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey with PP Arnold (may have been later this month or first week in January)
The Kool, late 1967, from left: Ray Brown, Jeff Curtis (aka David Myers), Pete Burt, Dave Carol and Jet Hodges
The Kool #2 (January-August 1968)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Pete Burt – drums
Originally from Twickenham, Middlesex, Brian Hosking (b. 7 July 1947, Twickenham, Middlesex) was no stranger to the band having known Dave Carol from The Smokestacks in 1964. Hosking had first played bass with The Diplomats while at school and then joined The Feeet with guitarist Doug Ayris. During 1963, Hosking and Ayris formed The Legend with singer Nigel Kingswell and drummer John Sergeant.
In 1964, Hosking left to join The Smokestacks. Two years later, he helped form Twickenham band, The All Night Workers. However, after a few months, he departed to run a bar full-time in Heston and only returned to the live scene in October 1967 with a short-lived band called Deep Purple (no relation to their more famous namesake). When he joined The Kool, Hosking had given up the bar to sell car batteries in Slough and was living in Hounslow.
Kingston & Malden Borough News, 30 August 1968
In early 1968, The Kool appeared at London’s top nightclubs, the Cromwellian and the Pickwick. During the second part 1968, the band increasingly found work in the Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey area.
Notable gigs:
Photo: Swindon Advertiser
27 January 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with James Stuart Inspiration
4 May 1968 – West Clandon Youth Club, West Clandon Village Hall, Surrey
25 May 1968 – Beauty Queen competition at Hampton Hill Catholic Youth Club, St Francies Sales Church, Hampton Hill, Middlesex
Photo: Surrey Advertiser
15 June 1968 – West Clandon Youth Club, West Clandon Village, Surrey
22 June 1968 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
6 July 1968 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
19 July 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
The Kool #3 (August 1968-January 1969)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Steve Allen – drums
During late summer Pete Burt departed and joined up with keyboard player Bob Brittain for a tour of Germany. In 1969, Brittain offered Burt the drum position in his new band, Pickettywitch but the drummer declined the offer. The following year, he reunited with his old school friend from Roxeth Manor School – Rod Wharton and they formed the trio, Hogsnort Rupert. Burt subsequently retired from the music business and passed away on 20 March 2013.
Steve Allen, who was originally from Cornwall and had played in several West Country bands for five years before moving to Esher, Surrey, took over from Burt while working for the Inland Revenue in Richmond, Surrey during the day.
According to the Kingston and Malden Borough News, the new line up returned to the studios in early September 1968 to record three more sides, including two band originals, and two of the tracks recorded would be chosen for the band’s next single, due out around Christmas. The promised single never appeared.
The new Kool line-up, however, was short-lived because Allen did not like the band’s music and departed early on to join The Factory, led by singer Jack Brand.
Notable gigs:
16 August 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
24 August 1968 –Staines Town Hall, Staines, Middlesex
25 August 1968 – Apple Tree Club, White Lion, Putney, Southwest London
14 September 1968 – West Clandon Youth Club, West Clandon Village Hall, West Clandon, Surrey
18 November 1968 – Orange Grove, Grove Tavern, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
6 December 1968 – Apple Tree Club, Kingston Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Photo: Melody Maker
The Kool #4 (January-May 1969)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Jet Hodges (aka Richard Hodgins) – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Geoff Coxon – drums
Dave Carol enlisted his old friend from early 1960s band, The Drovers, Geoff Coxon, to replace the outgoing Steve Allen. Since splitting from Carol in 1964, Coxon had joined Hampton, Middlesex band, The Others, just in time to promote their lone single on Fontana, a raucous version of Bo Diddley’s “Oh Yeah”, coupled with the band original “I’m Taking Her Home”.
After The Others fell apart in October of that year, Coxon moved on to work with Colin Shane & The Shannons alongside guitarist Dave Mumford and bass player Dick Merritt. When this group split up in late 1965, the trio formed The Sugar Band with organist Malcolm Wainman, tenor sax player Pete Browning and baritone sax player Les Batt and worked the soul club circuit until late 1967.
The band’s agent then linked the musicians with Jamaican singer Delroy Williams and they became The Delroy Williams Show with The Sugar Band. By late 1968, the group had split from Williams and Coxon gigged around before joining The Kool.
Program for show in Caen, France in Feb. 1969. The photo shows the ’67 lineup before Brian Hosking and Geoff Coxon had joined. Program scan courtesy of Brian Hosking
The new line up travelled to France to play the Grand Ball at Caen University in early February. During that weekend, the new band members did a signing at a record shop for their forthcoming CBS single, which featured a photo of the original line up.
On 18 April 1969, CBS belatedly released The Kool’s second single, “Step Out of Your Mind” c/w “Funny What A Fool Can Be”, over a year after it was originally recorded. Despite a strong performance, the band’s moment had passed and the single failed to chart.
The single was reviewed in the Kingston and Malden Borough News’s 25 April 1969 edition, together with a photo of the original line up.
The current line up, however, signed to MCA and recorded a final single, issued in June 1969, coupling the poppy “Lovin’”, written by the song-writing team Capitanelli and O’Connor, backed by Dave Myers’ original, “Baby’s Out of Reach”. Produced by Phil Swern, arranged by Tom Parker, and with backing vocals by Sue and Sonny, the single had great potential but was another chart failure.
Before it was released both Jet Hodges and newcomer Geoff Coxon departed. Coxon joined Calum Bryce, reuniting with Dave Mumford. Coxon currently performs with a reformed The Others.
Calum Bryce, late 1969. Geoff Coxon at far left Photo courtesy of Geoff Coxon
Notable gigs:
15 January 1969 – Weybridge Hall, Weybridge, Surrey
Photo: Woking Herald
8 February 1969 – Grand Ball, Caen University, France
5 April 1969 – West Clandon Village Hall, West Clandon, Surrey (Surrey Advertiser)
Photo: Woking Herald
2 May 1969 – Addlestone Community Centre, Addlestone, Surrey
The Kool #5 (May-August 1969)
Jeff Curtis – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Ronnie Clayden – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Jim Park – drums
Jim Park (b. 21 March 1947, Staines, Middlesex) was recruited via an advert that Hosking put in Melody Maker. The band received over 60 applications for the drum vacancy but Park knew Clive Burrows, who was singing in the latest version of Hosking’s former group The All Night Workers, which still contained Hosking’s former band mate from The Legend, Doug Ayris. Burrows also worked as a store man at a shop Hosking’s girlfriend managed.
August 1969
Barely 20 years old, Clayden (b. 2 April 1949, Lewisham, Kent) was living in Ascot, Berkshire at the time and had previously worked with Maidenhead band, The John Thomas Blues Band, which included lead guitarist Graham Marshall and drummer Chris Stevens.
The John Thomas Blues Band landed loads of support gigs opening for the likes of The Pretty Things, The Gun and Aynsley Dunbar’s Retaliation and had even spent a brief period backing American blues singer/pianist Champion Jack Dupree. The John Thomas Blues Band appeared at the Crown pub in Twickenham on 11 January 1969. Clayden finds out about the position in The Kool through Jim Park whose parents worked with his.
Sir Robert Peel, photo taken September 2011
The Kool, however, were nearing their end and during a run of shows at the Sir Robert Peel in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, longstanding front man Jeff Curtis quit the band and was replaced by singer Roger Semon, who’d previously fronted The In-Sekt Ltd and Coconut Ice.
Not long after newcomer Jim Park also departed and subsequently re-joined The All Night Workers. Alan Cottrell took his place on the drum stool.
After leaving the band he had led for nearly a decade, Jeff Curtis reverted to his real name, David Myers, and set up his own restaurant business. He died in tragic circumstances in the late 1990s.
Notable gigs:
12 July 1969 – Maidens’ Ball, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey
19-20 July 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
7 August 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
9 August 1969 – Hog’s Back Hotel, Seale, near Farnham, Surrey
12 August 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
The Kool, December 1970, from left: Brian Hosking, Alan Cottrell, Roger Semon, Dave Carol and (not pictured) Ronnie Clayden Photo courtesy of Brian Hosking
The Kool #6 (September 1969-December 1970)
Roger Semon – vocals Dave Carol – lead guitar, vocals Ronnie Clayden – keyboards, vocals Brian Hosking – bass Alan Cottrell – drums
Despite losing their longstanding frontman, The Kool continued into 1970 but did not record any more material. In early 1971, Hosking and Clayden both left.
Hosking later moved to the Guildford area where he worked with the band Bloodhound. Based on Bournemouth, he is currently working with a reformed version of The All Night Workers. Clayden, meanwhile, subsequently moved to the Camberley/Ascot area on the Surrey/Berkshire border and worked with the band, Snow Leopard. He later moved to the United States where he currently resides.
After bringing back Hosking’s predecessor Ray Brown from Magic Roundabout and carrying on without a keyboard player, the final line up continued as Easy Virtue throughout 1971. During that year, John Frost took over the drum stool from Alan Cottrell.
In 1972, Carol left and was replaced by lead guitarist Frank Torpey, who’d been in the original Sweet. The band then changed name to Crackers. However, in 1973, John Frost left to re-join Carol in a new version of Easy Virtue, which lasted into the mid-1970s. Carol subsequently left the music business and currently runs his own restaurant business in Southwest London.
Ray Brown meanwhile stayed in the music business until the mid-1980s. Crackers were studio winners on Opportunity Knocks in 1976 and recorded material at Abbey Road and Surrey Sound Studios. Three tracks featuring Roger Semon, Ray Brown and Frank Torpey were released under the name Horrorcomic on Lighting Records in 1977 and reached #28 in Melody Maker’s punk charts.
Two further singles were released in 1978 and 1979 with Roger Willis from Capability Brown on drums. All of the single releases, plus six previously unreleased recordings were issued in 2006 by Sanctuary Records on the CD England 77’. Brown later worked with comedy show group The Wallies and The Beasty Grandads before retiring from the music business in September 1988. He currently lives in Surrey.
Notable gigs:
10 September 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
17 September 1969 – Sir Robert Peel, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
27 September 1969 – Kingston College of Technology, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey with Bobby Kerr Whoopee Band and The Webb
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
5 December 1969 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
22 December 1969 – Chessington Youth Club, Chessington, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
27 December 1969 – Kingston Rowing Club, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
20 February 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
7 March 1970 – Kingston Rowing Club, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
21 March 1970 – Hook Youth Club, Hook, Surrey
4 April 1970 – Claygate Village Hall, Claygate, Surrey
17 April 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
24 April 1970 – Hook Youth Club, Hook, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
22 May 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
17 July 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
4 September 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
Photo: Kingston & Malden Borough News
23 October 1970 – Excel Bowl, Tolworth, Surrey
A huge thanks goes to Dave Carol, Pete Burt, Brian Hosking, Geoff Coxon, Ronnie Clayden, Ray Brown, Rod Wharton and John Frost. The Kingston and Malden Borough News also proved useful. Many thanks to Brian Hosking, Ray Brown and Ronnie Clayden for providing some of the images. This is dedicated to Pete Burt.
45 releases:
Look at Me, Look at Me/Room at the Top (CBS 203003) 1967 Step Out of Your Mind/Funny (What a Fool a Can Be) (CBS 2865) April 18, 1969 Lovin’/Baby’s Out of Reach (MCA MU 1085) 1969
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
I haven’t been able to afford an original Decca pressing of the soundtrack LP to Gonk’s Go Beat, so I’m making do with this weird Taiwan (I think) issue instead. Condition isn’t the best, so you’ll have to put up with one couple skip and some surface noise. It’s worth any trouble to hear the Graham Bond Organisation’s “Harmonica”. If you watch the film you’ll see Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and even John McLaughlin in that scene besides Bond.
The album is only half good. The first side is almost solid, but the second side is weak, and I’m not going to put all the tracks up here, they’re just not worth your time. There are too many light pop songs by Alan David, Barbara Brown, Perry Ford and Dougie Robinson. The ‘Titan Studio Orchestra’ under Robert Richards transcends ordinary big-band material only on the excellent “Burn Up”.
Lulu and the Luvers have a couple good songs, especially “Choc Ice”.
The Long and the Short’s “Take This Train” is also excellent – that was a band I wanted to know more about and Michael Lynch filled me in:
Bob McKinlay: vocals, guitar Bob Taylor: bass Les Saint Stuart: guitar Gerry Watt: piano Alan Grindley: drums…and one of the drummers in the big drumming scene.
They were from Ashton and had two minor UK hits (like the 30s or 40s) in 1964: “The Letter” (obviously not the Box Tops song) and “Choc Ice” (the song Lulu does in the film). But they’re probably best know for having Bob McKinlay who later made a name for himself as a British country singer.
The “Drum Battle” is crucial. In the movie there are nine players, (eight of which shown on the cover here), but for some reason this studio recording only seems to credit Alan Grinley, Ronnie Verrell (later drummed as Animal in the Muppets), Andy White (session drummer on “Love Me Do”), and Ronnie Stephenson (pop and jazz drummer). The others were Ginger Baker, Bobby Graham (top UK session drummer), John Kearns (“drummer of the Vaqueros of Lancaster – they had an instrumental single called ‘Echo’ in I think 1964” – Michael Lynch), and Bobby Richards plus one other I don’t have a name for yet. Besides the two groups of four drummers that are facing each other, there’s a ninth in the background in some of the shots in the clip from the film.
I mistakenly thought Arthur Mullard was the ninth drummer, but reader Geoff S. pointed out to me that “he was a comic actor renowned for playing dumb heavies and he is the guy wearing the uniform and white headphones who is giving the orders in this scene”.
Drum Battle Musical Director for the soundtrack is Mike Leander. I kind of like the country-folk song “Broken Pieces” by Elaine and Derek (written by the film’s director, Robert Hartford-Davis). This duo were twins, Elaine and Derek Thompson.
Overall I liked the movie despite the inane plot. The musical finale at the end was visually cool but sonically disappointing except for the Nashville Teens doing “Poor Boy”.
The Noblemen, January 1965. Left to right: Mike Turnill, Bernie Smith, Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley and Chuck Fryers
Chuck Fryers (guitar, vocals) Mick Ketley (keyboards, vocals) Bryan Stevens (bass) Bob Pettit (sax) Bernie Smith (drums)
1964
December The group evolves out of Bognor Regis group, The Detours, which was formed in early 1960 by bass player Bryan Stevens (b. 14 November 1943, Laha Datu, North Borneo). The Detours have gone through numerous personnel changes over the years with singer Johnny Devlin (real name: Johnny Hobbs, not the New Zealand singer) joining in early 1962. His arrival prompts a name change to Johnny Devlin & The Detours. Shortly afterwards, Stevens recruits former Soundtracks keyboard player Mick Ketley (b. 1 October 1947, Balham, London). Later that year, he also brings in former Cruisers guitarist Alan Paul “Chuck” Fryers (b. 24 May 1945, Bognor Regis, West Sussex) and adds sax player Bob Pettit from a Chichester abattoir. In 1963, Bernie Smith, another former Soundtracks member, takes over the drum stool. Johnny Devlin & The Detours sign to Pye in November and record two tracks – “Sometimes” and “If You Want Someone”, which are coupled for a single, released in January 1964. Despite a group appearance on TV show Thank Your Lucky Stars, the single fails to chart and Devlin leaves. Pete Townshend and John Entwistle see Devlin’s band on the TV show and decided to change their band’s name from The Detours to The High Numbers, which will subsequently become The Who. The group carries on with singer John Read and plays venues on the south coast like Littlehampton’s Top Hat and Worthing’s Mexican Hat. Bob Gaitley, who runs both clubs, invites The Detours to back a new singer, South African Mike Bush, who is launching himself as Beau Brummell. The group accepts and changes name to The Noblemen. EMI producer Bob Barrett signs Beau Brummell and The Noblemen and takes them into Abbey Road to record a single – Beau Brummell Esquire and His Noblemen’s “I Know, Know, Know” backed by a version of “Shopping Around” from Elvis’ film GI Blues.
1965
January Mike Turnill briefly joins on sax taking over from Pettit, who returns to work in an abattoir and plays with Johnny Devlin in Act IV.
Photo: Evening Argus, 9 January 1965
(4) The new line up appears on Granada Television in Manchester. Despite an appearance by Brummell on TV show Ready Steady Go, his debut single, released on Columbia, does not chart.
Brighton Crescent, spring 1965, from left: Bryan Stevens, Chuck Fryers, Mick Ketley, Bob Lomas, Malcolm Randall and Bernie Smith
February Bob Lomas replaces Turnill. The group also takes on a second sax player Malcolm Randall, who has placed an advert in Melody Maker after playing with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, and joins The Noblemen in time for a short trip to West Germany, where they play at the Storyville Jazz Club in Cologne before returning to the UK that spring. The Noblemen are photographed in Brighton wearing regency clothes.
April(10) Beau Brummell & The Noblemen travel up to Scotland and appear at Cragburn Pavilion in Gourock.
(15) On the way back home, they play at the Market Assembly Hall in Carlisle with Them Grimbles.
(25) Beau Brummell & The Noblemen perform at the Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Dagoes.
Bob Lomas and Malcolm Randall, West Germany, spring 1965
May(1) Beau Brummell and His Noblemen appear at the California Ballroom in Dunstable with The Downsiders and The Richochets.
(9) The band appears at the Majestic Ballroom in Luton, Bedfordshire with Randall’s former group, Jeff Curtis & The Flames.
(14) Beau Brummell is listed appearing at the Carlton Ballroom in Erdington, West Midlands with The Chucks.
(22) Beau Brummell & The Noblemen perform Malborough Hall, in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
(29) The band plays at the Assembly Hall, Mold, Flintshire, Wales with The Denims.
May (16) Billed as Beau Brummell with his Exclusive Noblemen Orchestra, the group appears at Cubiklub in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
(21) The group performs at Hoveton Hall, Wroxham, Norfolk with The Trends.
June (13) Beau Brummell & His Exclusive Noblemen Orchestra appear at the Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex.
(19) The group appears at the New Cornish Riveria Lido in St Austell, Cornwall with The Guild.
July (2) Billed as Beau Brummell & The Nobles, they perform at the Guildhall, Axminster in Devon.
(3) Beau Brummell & His Exclusive Noblemen Orchestra appear at Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with Johnny Carr and The Cadilacs and The Vicarage Five.
(9-11) With a new sax player called John replacing Bob Lomas, Beau Brummell & The Noblemen play at the Star Club in Hamburg. Immediately afterwards, the band plays at the Storyville Jazz Club in Duisberg (most likely from 12-15 July) and Randall jumps ship to join The Manchester Playboys back in England.
(16) Beau Brummell & The Noblemen play a double-nighter in Greater Manchester, starting off with a show at the Domino Club in Openshaw with Lulu & The Luvvers and then the Princess Club, Chorlton with Julie Grant.
(19) The group plays at the Manor Lounge, Stockport, Greater Manchester. This may have been Randall’s final gig as The Manchester Playboys are performing in nearby Bolton this evening and are based in the Greater Manchester area.
(20) The musicians appear at the Marine Ballroom in Evesham, Worcestershire.
(24) The group, billed as The Beau Brummell Band, appears at Shefford Hardwicke in Bedfordshire.
(30) Billed as Beau Brummell & his exclusive Noblemen Orchestra, the musicians perform at the New Embassy Club, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
August (14) The band appears at the New Cornish Riviera Lido, St Austell, Cornwall with The Road Runners. Immediately afterwards, John, the temporary sax player, also departs. Back in England, The Noblemen take on new sax players Keith Gemmell (b. 15 February 1948, Hackney, London) and former Gene Vincent sideman, Jeremy “Jem” Field.
(20) Beau Brummell and His Noblemen Orchestra appear at Cheltenham Town Hall in what is one of the first shows by the new formation.
(21) Beau Brummell and The Noble Men play at the Galaxy Club in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
(22) The band appears at the Mexican Hat in Worthing with The Beat Merchants.
(23) The group plays at the Majestic Ballroom, Newport, south Wales with The Cellar Set.
Oslo National Park, Norway, 1965: Chuck Fryers, Mick Ketley, Bryan Stevens, Bernie Smith, Keith Gemmell and Jem Field
September The band travels to Scandinavia to play some gigs in Norway and Sweden.
(18) Beau Brummell & The Noblemen arrive in Oslo. According to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, the band opens at the city’s Rondo Club, possibly for a week’s residency, with The Dukes, featuring singer Ingerid Marie.
Photo: Aftenposten. Thanks to Christopher Hjort for the photo
(26) Returning from Norway, The Noblemen join The Beat Merchants for another show at the Mexican Hat in Worthing. The Worthing Gazette advert notes that this is the band’s final British appearance for six weeks. Immediately afterwards, the band head to Rome, Italy to play at the Piper Club.
The Noblemen at the Piper Club, Rome in October 1965 Left to right: Chuck Fryers, Mick Ketley, Keith Gemmell and Jem Field
October(1) Beau Brummell and The Noblemen start working at the Piper club for a six-week stand, travelling through the city in an open carriage drawn by four white horses. During their stint at the club, the band meets actor Vincent Price and George Harrison’s parents who have won a holiday to Rome. While playing at the Piper club, the band is invited to play at the coming-out dance of the daughter of the millionaire, Prince Ruspoli. They also meet a female American singer called Kathy, who sets up a gig for the band at the Big Apple Club in Munich (where she lives) for the following May.
November After completing a six-week season, Beau Brummell and The Noblemen perform in Milan for 10 days and record four tracks in a studio that was formerly a church. These include the powerful sax-driven “Jezebel” and the Brummell composed, “I’m In Love”, a slow lilting number, neither of which are released. The group then heads south to Naples to play further dates before returning to Rome where The Noblemen sans Brummell record the tracks “Jump Back Baby” and “Ecstasy” with Chuck Fryers on lead vocals. Columbia releases Brummell’s third single (and second with the band) – “A Better Man Than I”, a spoken number, backed by “Teardrops”, which is credited to Brummell’s “Noblemen Orchestra” but it does not chart.
December Beau Brummell and The Noblemen play in Ostend in Belgium before returning to the UK.
(12) The Noblemen appear at the Mexican Hat in Worthing with The Look.
(17) The group returns to the continent to play in Turin. An engagement in St. Moritz is announced but the band do not play there.
(25-31) Beau Brummell and The Noblemen play at a club in Turin through to the new year and share the bill with Mussolini’s son Romano who plays piano with his jazz group. During January 1966, Brummell briefly splits from The Noblemen to return to Rome and tries to get into the film industry.
The Noblemen, early 1966. Clockwise from centre: Bryan Stevens, Bernie Smith, Keith Gemmell, Jem Field, Chuck Fryers and Mick Ketley
1966
January Columbia releases a final Brummell single, a cover of Ray Donner’s “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” backed by “Take Me Like I Am”, but it fails to chart.
Photo: Worthing Gazette
(7) Back in England, The Noblemen appear at the Top Hat in Littlehampton, West Sussex. The advert in the Worthing Gazette notes that they have just returned from Italy.
(8) Beau Brummell & The Noblemen play at the Shoreline Club in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
February(27) The Noblemen are a late addition to an all-nighter show at the original Cavern in Liverpool, which closes after tonight’s performance. Also included on the bill are Rory Storm and The Hurricanes and The Big Three among many others. The Cavern will officially reopen on 23 July.
March The Noblemen perform at the Storyville Jazz Club in Duisberg before moving on to Cologne.
(7-10) Beau Brummell rejoins The Noblemen briefly to share a week-long residency at the Storyville Jazz Club in Cologne with The Clayton Squares. The Squares’ singer Denny Alexander will reunite with Ketley and Stevens in The Motivation in June 1967. While in Cologne (this may have been spring 1965 trip instead), the group meets English group The Loving Kind featuring guitarist Noel Redding, who will join The Jimi Hendrix Experience in September. After playing at the Storyville Jazz Club in Cologne, the band holds down a residency at Frankfurt’s Storyville Jazz Club with Rory Storm and The Hurricanes and Johnny Guitar Watson.
(19) The Noblemen appear at the Flamingo Ballroom in Redruth, Cornwall with The Misfits.
The Noblemen in Pisa, Italy, April 1966, left to right: Mick Ketley, Bryan Stevens, Jem Field, Keith Gemmell and Chuck Fryers
April The Noblemen split from Brummell who returns to South Africa and records further singles (and later owns a naturist valley in the Northern Transvaal). The Noblemen accept a short residency at the Livorno Club in Pisa, Italy.
May(20) Thanks to the American singer they met in Rome last October, the group opens for The Spencer Davis Group at the Big Apple Club in Munich and both performances are recorded for German TV. Fryers has to borrow Spencer Davis’s guitar as his own was stolen while playing in Italy.
with the Spencer Davis Group, Big Apple Club
(21) Field leaves the band and returns home by train. Stripped down to a quintet, The Noblemen play some US air bases in West Germany with singing group, The New Faces. Gemmell does not stay long and returns home with The New Faces a few weeks later. Gemmell will find success in the late 1960s/early 1970s with the progressive rock outfit, Audience and also plays with Sammy.
June On the way home, the remaining members back country and western singer/comedian Don Bowman, who invites Fryers to return to Nashville as his guitarist. The Noblemen then play at the Star Club in Hamburg before arriving back in the UK. Fryers, Ketley, Smith and Stevens decide to carry on as The Noblemen and bring in a new singer, Jimmy Marsh (b. 9 April 1941, Carmarthen, Wales). Marsh first met the group members in 1964 at the Top Hat in Littlehampton when they were The Detours and he was fronting The Del Mar Trio. When Bernie Smith opts to take up a more regular job, Marsh suggests his former colleague Malcolm Tomlinson (b. 16 June 1946, Isleworth, Middlesex) as drummer. Tomlinson has worked with Marsh since 1964 in The Del Mar Trio and James Deane and The London Cats. Before that, he was a member of Jeff Curtis and The Flames. Bernie Smith will later reunite with Mick Ketley in Bognor Regis group, The Concords in 1969.
July (3) The Noblemen are billed to play at the Royal Ballrooms in Boscombe, Dorset with Karl & The Rapiers. This might be one of the last gigs with Bernie Smith or one of the first with Jimmy Marsh and Malcolm Tomlinson.
(16) Stevens advertises for a new sax player in the 23 July issue of Melody Maker, which hits the newsstands on this day. 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 Rodger misses out on a job with Screaming Lord Sutch. Rodger has joined Syndicate 1 in 1963 after leaving school in Dorset but meets Barre in Midlands band The Moonrakers in January 1965.
(22) Barre buys a saxophone at Sound City in London’s Shaftsbury Avenue for the audition three days later. On the same day, the band is billed to perform at the Cricketers Inn in Southend, Essex but it’s not clear if the current five-piece (sans saxes) perform.
(23) The Noblemen are advertised to appear at the Waterfront in Southampton, Hampshire for an evening show followed by a second gig at Le Disque A Go Go in Bournemouth, Dorset with a midnight performance leading into the 24th.
(24) Both Rodger and Barre are hired for the new line up as sax players, with Rodger doubling up on trumpet. Rodger recalls that their debut takes place at a US service club (most likely Douglas House) in Lancaster Gate at 4pm this afternoon. After the gig, they all return to Bognor Regis to rehearse at the Shoreline Club but Fryers leaves before the week is out.
After leaving The Noblemen in late July 1966, Fryers joins Bognor Regis group, The Warren J Five with Colin Madeley (trumpet) and Geoff Prior (bass), formerly of The Treatment. The new group is completed with former Untamed/John Lee’s Groundhogs’ drummer Terry Slade and singer John Read from The Hustlers. The Warren J Five travel to Hamburg, Germany and play at the Top Ten Club with singer Tony Sheridan. During 1967, The Warren J. 5 travel to Rome and perform regularly at the Piper club. The band records an album in Italy entitled Rhythm & Blues for the Vedette label and a single, “Sto Con Te (Tell It to the Rain)” c/w “Se Hai Qualcosa Da Dire (Tell Me)” before splitting with Read. After a brief period as The Reflections, Fryers and Prior return to the UK and join Coventry group, The Sorrows.
The Noblemen, Bognor Regis Beach, summer 1966. Left to right: Mick Ketley, Martin Barre, Jimmy Marsh, Chris Rodger, Malcolm Tomlinson, Bryan Stevens
(30) Without Fryers, The Noblemen are billed to play at the Lion Hotel in Warrington, Cheshire with The Atlantics and The Atlanta Roots.
August (6) The group travels to the southwest and performs at the Budleigh Salterton Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton, Devon. They may well have played at the 400 Club in Torquay the day before.
(7) The Noblemen appear at the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset with Teak & The Smokey.
(13) The Noblemen start a weekly residency at the 400 Ballroom in Torquay, Devon.
(15-19) After taking the Sunday off, The Noblemen continue their weekly residency at the 400 Ballroom in Torquay, Devon.
(20) The group travels back to the southwest for a show at the Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with The Blaizes.
(21) The next day, they play at the Park Ballroom’s Beat Centre in Plymouth, Devon.
(25) The Noblemen take part in the Big Beat Boat at Bournemouth, Dorset with The Mozzeletoft.
(27) Back in the southwest, they perform at the Blue Lagoon in Newquay, Cornwall with The Nite People.
(28) On the way up to London, The Noblemen perform at the Stoke Hole at the Stoke Hotel in Guidford, Surrey.
(29) The group appears to have seen out the month playing at the 2 ‘B’s’ Club in Ashford, Kent with The End.
September The new Noblemen move up to London and share a flat in Chelsea (and later Gloucester Road).
(2) The band appears at the Fiesta Hall in Andover, Hampshire.
(3) The Noblemen play at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset. They sign to the Roy Tempest Agency and start backing up visiting US soul acts.
(10) The Noblemen back The Vibrations at the Starlight Room at the Boston Gliderdrome in Lincolnshire on a bill that also includes Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and The Little People.
(11) The Vibrations (most likely supported by The Noblemen) appear at Toft’s in Folkestone, Kent.
(13) The Vibrations (most likely with The Noblemen backing) play at the Club Cedar in Birmingham.
(15) The Vibrations are booked to play at the Whisky A Go Go in Wardour Street, Soho, central London. However, it’s not clear whether The Noblemen are the backing band on this gig as Ketley doesn’t recall performing at this venue. It’s possible that another Tempest act provides support.
(16) The Vibrations appear at the Domino club in Openshaw and the Princess Theatre in Chorlton, Greater Manchester with seven other acts (most likely with The Noblemen backing them).
(17) The Vibrations play at the Dungeon, Nottingham. They billed to appear with The Senate, but Rodger has a photo with The Noblemen’s bass player Bryan Stevens, which confirms it was The Noblemen.
(17) The Noblemen back The Vibrations at the new Cavern club in Liverpool. Also on the bill are Sooner or Later, Intent and Purpose, The Klubs, The Signs, The Times, The Tremas, The Dark Ages and Jimmy James and The Vagabonds.
(18) The Vibrations appear at Kirklevington Country Club in Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (most likely with The Noblemen backing them).
(18-19) Around this time, The Vibrations (backed by The Noblemen) appear at the Scotch of St James in Mayfair, central London. American soul legend Otis Redding, who has been touring the UK for the first time, turns up as does Mick Jagger. (On 18 September, Redding played a show at the Ram Jam Club in Brixton, south London. He played at Tiles in Oxford Street on 16 September; his only West End show).
(20-22) The Vibrations are billed to return to the Club Cedar in Birmingham for three nights (most likely with The Noblemen) but the middle date may have been difficult with the Purley gig below.
(21) The Vibrations play at the Orchid Ballroom in Purley, Surrey but the support band is not listed.
(22) The Noblemen back The Vibrations at the Carlton Club in Erdington, West Midlands and also play another set at the Cedar Club. Later that evening, The Vibrations play at the Cue Club in Paddington (presumably with The Noblemen again).
(23) The group backs The Vibrations at Toft’s in Folkestone, Kent. Former Loving Kind guitarist Noel Redding joins the musicians backstage after the show. Little does he know but his future band leader Jimi Hendrix is flying out from the USA tonight on route for London. (Redding will audition unsuccessfully for The Animals on 29 September but is picked up by Chas Chandler for The Jimi Hendrix Experience the same day.)
(25) The Vibrations are advertised to play at the Club West Indies in Stonebridge Park, northwest London but no backing band is listed. The previous evening the soul singers appeared at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester but the support group wasn’t advertised.
(29) The Vibrations are booked to appear at the King Mojo Club in Sheffield for an All-nighter with London’s Ravers (who could well be The Noblemen). Also on the bill are The Amboy Dukes Big Band.
October Around early October The Noblemen back The Drifters (possibly for a one-off gig in London). The most likely date is at Tiles in Oxford Street on 7 October.
(15) Billed as (The) Motivation (a name they will change to next month), The Noblemen are billed to play at the Orford Cellar in Norwich. However, Rodger recalls The Noblemen went to play US air bases in West Germany for a week, travelling on German railway and were away on his birthday on 16 October. This means this gig didn’t happen. It seems most likely they left for West Germany around Sunday, 9 October.
(16) Around this time, the group starts to work with Edwin Starr. They are advertised to back him at the Beachcomber club in Nottingham with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers also on the bill. However, Alan Chamberlain, singer with The Guests, says it was his group that did the honours. Rodger confrims that the group played in West Germany on his birthday which is today.
(17) Rodger says that The Noblemen backed Lee Dorsey at Tiles on Oxford Street, central London. This is the date that Dorsey is advertised for that gig in Melody Maker. The group does work with Lee Dorsey around this time who also plays at the Saddle Room in London on 19 October. However, the advert does not list a support group for the Saddle Room date.
(21) The Noblemen play at De Montfort in Leicester backing Edwin Starr on a bill that also features The Ike & Tina Turner Revue, Alvin Robinson, Family and others. On the same day, Edwin Starr appears at Sleaford Mabern Club, Sleaford, Lincolnshire (backed by The Senate), Midnight City in Birmingham (with The Night People) and the New All-Star Club near Liverpool Street. However, it’s not clear if The Noblemen backed him at either of the latter two shows.
(22) Edwin Starr appears at Reading University but no backing group is listed. It is more likely that the group backs Alvin Robinson at the Blue Moon in Cheltenham as they start working with him around now.
(23) Edwin Starr is billed to play at the Starlite Ballroom in Greenford, west London. However, it’s not clear whether The Noblemen backed the singer. It’s possible they may have backed Lee Dorsey instead at the Club West Indies in northwest London today. Alvin Robinson appears at Kirklevington Country Club in Kirklevington, North Yorkshire on this date but he’s billed to appear with another band (The Ziggy Turner Combo). However, Tomlinson remembers backing Robinson at Newcastle University which is not far away so it’s possible The Noblemen did back him at Kirklevington.
(24) Alvin Robinson appears at the Whisky A Go Go in Wardour Street, Soho, central London but it’s unlikely The Noblemen provided support (see below).
(28) The Noblemen works with Alvin Robinson, performing with the singer at the Dungeon club in Nottingham. A review in the Nottingham Evening Post on 4 November lists the band under its new name The Motivation. (29) The Noblemen back Alvin Robinson at the Starlight Room at the Boston Gliderdrome in Lincolnshire on a bill that also features The Alan Bown Set, John McCoy’s Crawdaddies and Listen (with a young Robert Plant on vocals). On the same day Alvin Robinson performs at the Burlesque in Leicester (most likely with The Noblemen).
(30) Alvin Robinson plays at the Jigsaw in Manchester (possibly with The Noblemen).
(31) Robinson is billed to appear at the Whisky A Go Go in Wardour Street, Soho, central London. Ketley has no recollections of ever playing at the Whisky A Go Go and Pip Williams, guitarist with The Sovereigns, says his band backed Robinson so it’s most likely it is The Sovereigns who provide support on this date and the other Whisky date on 24 October. After backing Robinson for two nights at the Club Cedar in Birmingham as The Motivations on 1-2 November, the band starts to work with The Coasters. It’s likely that Robinson completes his British tour with another support band, although The Noblemen may have doubled up.
November (3) The Noblemen perform at the Regent Ballroom in Brighton, East Sussex before starting work with The Coasters.
(4) The Noblemen back The Coasters (and appear in their own right) at the King Mojo Club in Sheffield with Sonny Childe & The TNT.
(5) The Coasters (most likely backed by The Noblemen) appear at Rawmarsh Baths in Rawmarsh near Rotherham, West Yorkshire. Also on the bill are Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Dawley Crews Amblers. Around this time, they change name to The Motivation but are often billed as The Motivations (and sometimes still The Noblemen).
(9) Advertised as The Noblemen, the group supports The Coasters at the Mecca Ballroom on the Royal Pier, Southampton, Hampshire.
(10) Chris Rodger says the group supported Ben E King at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, which took place today.
(17) The Coasters perform at the Starlight Ballroom in Crawley, West Sussex and The Noblemen are the most likely backing band.
(19) Billed as The Noblemen, the musicians back The Coasters at the Cavern in Liverpool. Also on the bill are The Hideaways, The Kids, The Love Trade and The Escorts. After an all-nighter show, The Coasters perform (presumably backed by The Noblemen) at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester.
(25) The Noblemen support The (Original) Coasters at the New Yorker Discotheque, Swindon. They continue as (The) Motivation throughout the rest of 1966 and into 1967 before evolving (through various line up changes) into The Penny Peep Show, The Penny Peeps and Gethsemane. Martin Barre will join Jethro Tull in December 1968. Malcolm Tomlinson will move to Canada in January/February 1969 and form Milkwood. Ketley will join The Concords on bass, reuniting with former Noblemen drummer Bernie Smith. Smith later opens a music shop and drum school in Chichester.
1968
Former Noblemen guitarist, Chuck Fryers records an album with The Sorrows in Italy entitled Old Songs New Songs for the Miura label. After a handful of singles on the Pye and Miura label, Fryers joins Electric Heart. In 1969, he marries his girlfriend in Chichester and returns to Italy. Over the next few years, he plays with Treves Blues Band. During the 1970s, Fryers performs with The Baker Street Band and then forms his own group, which records a CD Fryers and Friends First. He currently lives in Milan and has released a solo CD That’s It?
Sources:
Bognor Regis Post, 9 January 1965 and 18 December 1965. Flying Colours by Greg Russo, Crossfire Publications, 2009. Music Echo – Liverpool, week ending 12 March 1966. The Best of Cellars – The Story of The Cavern Club by Phil Thompson, Bluecoat Press, 2007. 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, Chuck Fryers, Mick Ketley, Bernie Smith, Jim Marsh, Malcolm Tomlinson, Keith Gemmell, Chris Rodger, Nigel Norman and Sylvia Stephen.
Live dates sourced from Melody Maker, New Musical Express, Nottingham Evening Post, the Liverpool Echo, the Manchester Evening News, Sheffield Star. Other newspaper 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
Colour Supplement, early 1967, from left: George, Paul, Phil, Ricky and Pete
from left: George, Paul, Mike, Rick and PhilThe Colour Supplement were a Staffordshire, UK band formed around 1965/1966 as The System by keyboard player George Glover and bass player Paul Stevenson with guitarist Gerald Brooks and drummer Ricky Ballan. By early 1967, Pete Wainwright had succeeded Brooks and Phil Tunstall had come in on lead vocals.
In October 1967, Mike Nixon took over from Pete Wainwright on guitar. Nixon had previously been lead singer with The Gospel Truth, which also featured future Climax Blues Band members Colin Cooper, Peter Haycock, Arthur Wood and John Cuffley.
Within days of his joining, The Colour Supplement got the opportunity to tour Sweden on a 14-day tour and shared two shows with Hedgehoppers Anonymous before doing further dates with the Troggs.
Back in England, the band briefly gigged around the Stoke-on-Trent area before landing a three-week stint at the Star Club in Hamburg in November where they met Ritchie Blackmore, who sat in on several occasions.
The Colour Supplement then headed to Cologne for two weeks to play the Storyville Club, followed by another fortnight at the Frankfurt Storyville Club.
A second tour of Sweden in April-May 1968 was a disaster. In December, Tunstall was tempted away with an offer to join a new version of Hedgehoppers Anonymous.
The band continued briefly as a four-piece but then brought in a singer called Hutch (aka Bernard Hutchinson). The group underwent further changes in the 1970s and worked with singer/songwriter David Parton (aka Des Parton), who later achieved songwriting success with Sweet Sensation, penning the UK #1 with ‘Sad Sweet Dreamer’. He also had a UK top 5 hit with a cover of the Stevie Wonder song, ‘Isn’t She Lovely?’
Glover later joined The Climax Blues Band and still plays with them to this day.
Thank you to George Glover, Mike Nixon and Paul Stevenson for passing on details about The Colour Supplement and to Joe Toriati for the photos of this band.
Site of the Ealing Jazz Club, photo taken December 2010
The Ealing Jazz Club (or the Ealing Club as it was more commonly known) was one of London’s most historically important music venues during the 1960s. Situated below the ABC bakery, opposite Ealing Broadway station, in the leafy West London suburb of Ealing, the club became renowned as London’s first significant R&B venue when blues enthusiasts Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies’s band Blues Incorporated debuted in March 1962.
Nicknamed the “Moist Hoist” because of the condensation that used to drip down the walls, the club hosted many of London’s most distinguished R&B acts, and in April of that year provided the setting for the first meeting between Messrs.’ Jagger and Richard and Brian Jones, who formed the nucleus of The Rolling Stones, a club regular during 1962 and 1963.
A virtual who’s who of famous British R&B enthusiasts appeared on the club’s tiny stage over the next three years, most notably Blues Incorporated members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (who went on to Cream among others); Eric Clapton; Graham Bond; John Mayall; Long John Baldry; Eric Burdon; and Paul Jones, Manfred Mann’s lead singer, to mention just a few names.
Another of London’s top R&B acts The Who performed their first advertised show at the club in November 1964 and played regularly there during the early part of 1965. Jeff Beck’s band The Tridents also graced the club’s stage and, according to Melody Maker, appeared regularly on the Wednesday and Friday night slots during the summer of 1964.
And let’s not forget Dick Taylor, who left an early incarnation of The Rolling Stones to form his own pioneering R&B band, The Pretty Things. Incidentally, future Rolling Stone, Ron Wood was another famous musician who frequented the club with his band, the unforgettable Birds. His brother, the late Art Wood also appeared there, playing with Blues Incorporated and fronting his own band, The Artwoods.
As an R&B hotbed, the club became a magnet for London’s music crowd, drawing in the likes of Rod Stewart; future Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell; Don Craine and the rest of The Downliners Sect; future Faces keys man Ian McLagan, who was working with Twickenham band, The Muleskinners; and future Deep Purple founder Nick Simper, whose early Sixties outfit, The Delta Five were one of the many acts to appear.
Many of the British musicians that either played at the club or witnessed the burgeoning R&B scene emerging from it, took what they had learnt and/or seen to overseas markets as part of the British invasion.
Locals, the late Frank Kennington, who later managed Motorhead, and lead guitarist Mick Liber, whose band Frankie Reid and The Casuals (with future Episode Six drummer John Kerrison among others) had played at the Ealing Club, headed Down Under and formed one of Australia’s finest R&B groups, the original Python Lee Jackson.
Singer Andy Keiller caught many of the acts, including an embryonic Rolling Stones with Carlo Little on drums and Ricky Brown on bass and was so inspired that he headed off to South Africa and subsequently formed The Upsetters in late 1965.
Keiller’s soon-to-be collaborator, Irish guitarist Louis McKelvey and his friend, drummer Malcolm Tomlinson, meanwhile, had played with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, who frequently played at the Ealing Club during its formative years.
After their brief stint together in South Africa, Andy Keiller and Louis McKelvey amazingly reunited in Canada in the late 1960s, founding the experimental band, Influence.
McKelvey subsequently returned to the UK to pick up Malcolm Tomlinson, who’d been working with a pre-Jethro Tull Martin Barre and then headed back to Toronto to form Milkwood, authors of a soon-to-be released LP, recorded with the legendary Jerry Ragovoy at the NYC’s Hit Factory in summer of 1969.
Likewise, many other not so famous musicians who played the Ealing Club went on to produce fascinating music in the burgeoning psychedelic scene. Locals Chris Jackson and Tom Newman fronted R&B band The Tomcats (who also worked as The Thoughts) and later formed one of Britain’s more interesting psych ventures, July, after a stint in Spain.
Jon Field and Tony Duhig were also members of July and had earlier worked with another Ealing Club regular – The Second Thoughts, alongside future Thunderclap Newman, drummer/vocalist Speedy Keen and Patrick Campbell Lyons, who later formed the core of another top psych act, Nirvana.
Jimmy Royal, yet another local talent, was a club regular and fronted one of the area’s most respected bands, The Hawks, which featured former Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (the recently deceased) guitarist Mick King (real name Mick Borer) and drummer Terry Mabey among others.
And let’s not forget the many obscure bands that got to play at this prestigious club – groups like The Fairlanes, The Four Sounds, Johnnie Harris and The Shades and The Fantastic Soul Messengers.
With many of these great musicians already gone, Garagehangover would like to use this space to encourage musicians, club regulars, promoters and any others with any memories, memorabilia, photos and details of live dates to share this on the site in the comment box below.
Unless otherwise stated, the following (incomplete) gigs listing is from the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, which advertised who played at the Ealing Club in its “Coming Events” section towards the back.
The main exception is 1963 where Melody Maker was the main source for gigs unless otherwise noted.
Thanks to Paul Lucas for The Tridents’ gigs, taken from his diary.
January 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 11 – The London City Stompers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 18 – The Ken Stuart Seven
Tuesday 22 – The Colne Valley Six
Saturday 26 – The Rolling Stones
February 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Keith Gardiner, rhythm guitar player with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, says his band played the Ealing Club a few times during the early months of 1963
Tuesday 5 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 8 – Blue Cedar Jazzmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 9 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 15 – Johnny Toogood’s Jazzband (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 22 – Colne Valley Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 23 – The Rolling Stones
March 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 1 – Eric Johnson’s Junction Jazz Band
Saturday 2 – The Rolling Stones
According to John Kerrison’s autobiography It Ain’t Rock ‘N’ Roll, The Rolling Stones had a regular Thursday night residency, which Kerrison’s band, Frankie Reid & The Casuals took over. Judging by the dates, it looks more likely that it was a Saturday rather than Thursday night residency.
Friday 8 – Kid Martyn’s Ragtime Band
Monday 11 – The Rockets (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 18 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 22 – Thames City Jazzmen
Saturday 23 – Blues By Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 24 – Sonny Morris Veterans Jazz Band
Monday 25 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 29 – Bob Woolley’s Jazz Band
Saturday 30 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 31 – Micky Ashman’s Ragtime Jazz Band
April 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Monday 1 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 13 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 15 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 18 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 20 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 22 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 25 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 26 – Bob Woolley’s Jazzmen
Saturday 27 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 28 – Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the first Ealing Club show by the band that became Manfred Mann)
Monday 29 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
May 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 3 – The Sidewalk Six and The Phoenix Thumpers
Sunday 5 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Thursday 9 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 10 – The Cardinal Jazzmen
Saturday 11 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 12 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Monday 13 – Rock ‘N’ Roll (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 17 – The Dauphine Street Six
Sunday 19 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members at this time went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six)
Friday 24 – Douggie Richford’s Jazzmen
Saturday 25 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 26 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Monday 27 – The Running Gate (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 31 – The Dolphin Jazz Band
June 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Sunday 2 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Sunday 9 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Tuesday 11 – The Boys and The Henchman (Harrow Observer) (The Boys became The Action; The Henchmen evolved into The Rockin’ Eccentrics – see below)
Thursday 13 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 14 – The Cardinal Jazzmen
Saturday 15 – Graham Bond (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 16 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette has them billed as The Blues Brothers but also lists The Chinese Blues and Manhogs)
Monday 17 – The Boys and The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 20 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer)
Friday 21 – Charlie Gall’s Jazz Band
Saturday 22 – The Graham Bond Quartet
Sunday 23 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette bill them as fabulous Rolling Blues Brothers)
Monday 24 – The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 28 – Bob Wooley’s Jazz Band
Sunday 30 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
July 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 5 – The Renegades (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Limelights)
Sunday 7 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the final gig under this name before switching to Manfred Mann)
Wednesday 10 – The Soundsmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 12 – The Limelights (this band became The Legends)
Wednesday 17 – Mike Forde & The Fortunes (Drummer Lindsay Bex joined The Tridents in January 1964 but left soon after Jeff Beck joined)
Friday 19 – The Limelights
Wednesday 24 – The International Monarchs
August 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 2 – The Limelights
Wednesday 7 – Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated
Wednesday 28 – Blues by Six
September 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 4 – The Graham Bond Quartet
October 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 5 – Manfred Mann (First Ealing gig under their new name)
Wednesday 16 – The Bluenotes
November 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 9 – Manfred Mann
Saturday 30 – Manfred Mann
December 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Sunday 1 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers (billed as every Sunday) (Mitch Mitchell played drums at the start alongside sax player Terry Marshall, who was Jim Marshall’s son)
Sunday 8 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Saturday 14 – Manfred Mann
Sunday 15 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Saturday 21 – Manfred Mann
Sunday 22 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Sunday 29 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
January 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (billed as playing every Saturday)
Friday 10 – The Tridents (Guitarist Leslie Jones joined Four Plus One in August 1964 with former Tridents drummer Ken Lawrence; they became The In Crowd who subsequently morphed into Tomorrow)
Saturday 11 – Possibly John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (needs confirmation)
Monday 13 – The Tridents
Saturday 18 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Monday 20 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (billed as every Monday)
Wednesday 22 – The Tridents
Thursday 23 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 26 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 27 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – The Chessmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (aka Tony Knight’s Chessmen)
February 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 1 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 8 – The Soul Messengers (Melody Maker however lists John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)
Sunday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Monday 10 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Wednesday 12 – The Tridents
Wednesday 19 – The Tridents
Wednesday 26 – The Tridents
March 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 4 – The Tridents
Friday 6 – R&B group
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Wednesday 11 – The Tridents
Friday 13 – R&B group
Wednesday 18 – The Tridents
Thursday 19 – Top West London groups (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 21 – Jimmy Williamson Trio (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 22 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 23 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Wednesday 25 – The Tridents
Thursday 26 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette) (Members at this point went on to The Manchester Playboys, Influence and The Penny Peeps among others)
Friday 27 – The Tridents
Saturday 28 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Sunday 29 – The Soul Messengers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Monday 30 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
April 1964
Wednesday 1 – The Tridents
Thursday 2 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Friday 3
Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 5 – The Soul Messengers
Monday 6
Tuesday 7
Wednesday 8 – The Tridents
Thursday 9 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (This is Jeff Curtis & The Flames) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 10 – R&B group
Saturday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to Nirvana, Thunderclap Newman, July and Jade Warrior)
Monday 13 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Tuesday 14
Wednesday 15
Thursday 16 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (sic) (this is Jeff Curtis & The Flames)
Friday 17
Saturday 18 – The Mark Leeman Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to The Nice, Gass and Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers among others)
Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 20 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals) (Melody Maker lists Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band on Monday, 20 April)
Tuesday 21
Wednesday 22
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 23 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 24
Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 27 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals)
Tuesday 28
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
May 1964
Friday 1
Saturday 2 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 3 – The Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6 – The Tridents
Thursday 7 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 8 – R&B group
Saturday 9 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 10 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Mitch Mitchell left before the band became The Next 5 in the summer. After playing a gig with The Rockin’ Eccentrics in Portsmouth, he formed The Riot Squad)
Tuesday 12
Wednesday 13 – The Tridents
Thursday 14 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 15
Saturday 16 – The Mark Leemen’s Five (aka Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 17 – Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)
Monday 18 – The Hobos
Tuesday 19
Wednesday 20
Thursday 21 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 22
Saturday 23 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 24 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 25 – The Hobos
Tuesday 26
Wednesday 27
Thursday 28 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks
Friday 29 – The Tridents
Saturday 30 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 31 – The Second Thoughts
June 1964
Monday 1 – The Hobos
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3 – The Tridents
Thursday 4 – Manfred Mann
Friday 5 – The Tridents
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 7 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 8 – The Hobos
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – The Tridents
Thursday 11 – Manfred Mann (Harrow Observer & Gazette has Frankie Reid & The Casuals)
Friday 12 – The Preachers (Terry Clark and Andy Bown went on to original line up of The Herd)
Saturday 13 – The Mark Leemen Five (This might have been The Tridents; Harrow Observer & Gazette lists the latter)
Sunday 14 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 15 – The Hobos
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Tridents
Thursday 18 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Members at this point went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six among others)
Friday 19 – The Fairlanes
Saturday 20 – The Tridents (Harrow Observer & Gazette lists The Mark Leeman Five)
Sunday 21 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 22 – The Hobos
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Tridents
Thursday 25 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 26 – Gene & The Cossacks
Saturday 27– The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 28 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 29 – The Hobos
Tuesday 30
July 1964
Wednesday 1 – The Tridents
Thursday 2 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 3 – R&B group
Saturday 4 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 5 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 6 – The Hobos
Tuesday 7
Wednesday 8
Thursday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 10 – The Tridents
Saturday 11 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leeman Five)
Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 13 – The Hobos
Tuesday 14
Wednesday 15 – The Tridents
Thursday 16 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 17 – R&B
Saturday 18 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leemen Five) (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Second Thoughts)
Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 20 – Gerry Hart & The Heartbeats (This group became The Eyes)
Tuesday 21
Wednesday 22
Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 24
Saturday 25 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Mark Leeman Five)
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Macabre)
Monday 27 – The Hobos
Tuesday 28
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 31 – R&B
August 1964
Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 2 – The Macabre (Guitarist Peter Vernon-Kell had been a very early member of The Who when they were called The Detours. He would go to become an original member of The Hamilton Movement)
Monday 3 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 5 – The Tridents
Thursday 6 – R&B
Friday 7 – Group Four
Saturday 8 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 9 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 10 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 11
Wednesday 12 – The Tridents
Thursday 13 – R&B
Friday 14 – The Koalas
Saturday 15 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 16 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 17 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 18
Wednesday 19 – The Tridents (Shortly after this gig, the band’s guitarist Leslie Jones left to join Four Plus One/The In Crowd and Mike Jopp covered until Jeff Beck joined in early September)
Thursday 20 – R&B
Friday 21 – The Preachers
Saturday 22 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 23 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 24 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 25
Wednesday 26 – R&B
Thursday 27 – R&B
Friday 28 – R&B
Saturday 29 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 30 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 31 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
September 1964
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2 – R&B
Thursday 3 – R&B
Friday 4 – R&B
Saturday 5 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 6 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 7 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9 – R&B
Thursday 10 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 11 – R&B
Saturday 12 – The Mark Leemen Five (Saturdays)
Sunday 13 – The Macabre (Sundays)
Monday 14 – The Hobos (Mondays)
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16 – Buddy Britten & The Regents (every Wednesday)
Thursday 17 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal)
Friday 18 – The Preachers
Photo: Ruislip & Northwood Gazette
Saturday 19 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 20 – The Macabre
Monday 21 – The Hobos
Tuesday 22
Wednesday 23 – Buddy Britten & The Regents
Thursday 24 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks and Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 25 – The Vincents
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 26 – The Mark Leemen Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 27 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Mokes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 28 – The Macabre (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 31 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics and The South West Five
January 1965
Friday 1
Saturday 2 – The Who
Sunday 3 – The Hobos
Monday 4 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 7 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Friday 8 – The Heart & Souls (According to Ken Samuels, this was possibly with Flight One)
Saturday 9 – The Who
Sunday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 11 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 12
Wednesday 13 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 14 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 15 – Beau & The Odd Lot
Saturday 16 – The Ray Martin Group (Terry Marshall, Jim’s Marshall’s son was a member)
Sunday 17 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 18 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 19
Wednesday 20 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 21 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 22 – Just Memphis
Saturday 23 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 25 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 26
Wednesday 27 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 28 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 29 – The Nature Boys
Saturday 30 – The Who
Sunday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
February 1965
Monday 1 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3
Thursday 4 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks?)
Friday 5 – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Ian Gillan on lead vocals) and The Unit 5
Saturday 6 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 7 – Group Competition – 5 Top Groups!
Monday 8 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – Unit 5 (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 11 – The Who (Billed as “The Who London 1965” for next four Thursdays)
Friday 12 – The Miston Tuac
Saturday 13
Sunday 14 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 15 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 18 – The Who
Friday 19 – The Beaux Oddlot (aka Beau & The Odd Lot)
Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 22 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 25 – The Who
Friday 26 – Just Memphis
Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five
March 1965
Monday 1 – The Birds
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3 – The Blue Ravens
Thursday 4 – The Who
Friday 5 – The Nature Boys
Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 7 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 8 – The Birds
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 11 – The Birds
Friday 12 – The Blue Ravens
Saturday 13 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 14 – The Fetish Crowd
Monday 15 – The Birds
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Who
Thursday 18 – The Birds (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Confirmed by Ron Woods’ book)
Friday 19 – The Clique
Saturday 20 – The Five Dimension (The Stormsville Shakers are also listed for this date)
Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 22 – The Just Four
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Who
Thursday 25 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Friday 26 – The Who and The Fetish Crowd
Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 29 – The Just Four
Tuesday 30
Wednesday 31 – The Maroons (This band may have backed Wilson Pickett on a British tour)
April 1965
Thursday 1 – The Maroons (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 2 – The Clique
Saturday 3 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 4 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 5 – The Just Four
Tuesday 6
Wednesday 7 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 8 – The Maroons
Friday 9 – The Clique
Saturday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 11 – The Shondells
Monday 12 – The Dee Lobs and Mike Dee & The Prophets
Tuesday 13
Wednesday 14 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 15 – The Maroons
Friday 16 – The Clique
Saturday 17 – The Footprints
Sunday 18 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 19 – The Rakes
Tuesday 20
Wednesday 21 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 22 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Friday 23 – The Clique
Saturday 24 – Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 25 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 26 – The Tramps
Tuesday 27
Wednesday 28 – The Fetish Crowd
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 29 – The Birds
Friday 30 – The Eccentrics
May 1965
Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 2 – The Tribe (Guitarist Frank Torpey became the original guitarist in The Sweet; bass player Dennis Cowan joined The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)
Monday 3 – The Tramps
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 5 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 6
Friday 7 – The Maroons
Saturday 8 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 9 – The Rakes
Monday 10 – The Tramps
Tuesday 11
Wednesday 12 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 13 – The Tribe (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Fetish Crowd)
Friday 14 – The Birds
Saturday 15 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 16 – The Rakes
Monday 17 – The Tramps
Tuesday 18
Wednesday 19 – The C C Riders
Thursday 20 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 21 – The Eccentrics
Saturday 22 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 23 – The Tribe
Monday 24 – The Rakes
Tuesday 25
Wednesday 26 – The C C Riders
Thursday 27 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 28 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 29 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 30 – The Initial Four
Monday 31 – The Tribe
June 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2 – The C C Riders
Thursday 3 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 4 – The Senate IV
Saturday 5 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 6 – The Initial Four
Monday 7 – The Blues Dynasty
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9 – The C C Riders
Thursday 10 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 11 – The Senate IV
Saturday 12 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 13 – The Initial Four
Monday 14 – The Blues Dynasty
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16 – The C C Riders
Thursday 17 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 18 – The Tramps
July 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Thursday 1 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Sunday 4 – Initial 4
Saturday 10 – Initial 4
Friday 16 – Rock’ n Breckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)
Saturday 17 – Initial 4
Saturday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five
Saturday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
August 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Saturday 7 – The Ray Martin Group
Friday 13 – James Royal & The Hawks
Saturday 14 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 15 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers (Sundays)
Friday 20 – James Royal & The Hawks
Saturday 21 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 22 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Friday 27 – Ricken Beckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)
Saturday 28 – The Fab 5
September 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 3 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Friday 10 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Saturday 11 – The Ray Martin Group
Harrow Observer & Gazette (16 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays
Friday 17 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Saturday 18 – The Ray Martin Group
Harrow Observer & Gazette (23 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays
October 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Photo: Melody Maker
Wednesday 27 – Brian Green & His Band
Thursday 28 – R&B
Friday 29 – Cabaret Showband
Saturday 30 – The Ray Martin Group
November 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 3 – Brian Green & His Band
Friday 19 – Cabaret Showband
Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 21 – Jazz Blues Big Band
Wednesday 24 – Brian Green & His Jazz Band
Thursday 25 – R&B Group
December 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 9 – The Tribe
Ruislip and Northwood Gazette (10 December) says live music six nights a week
Friday 10 – The Ray Martin Group
Saturday 11 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 12 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Monday 13 – The Mixed Feelings
Wednesday 15 – The Midnight Blues (or possibly John Hart Quartet)
Thursday 16 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Friday 17 – The Ray Martin Group
Photo: Melody Maker
Saturday 18 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 19 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Friday 24 – The Ray Martin Group
Saturday 25 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 26 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Friday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
Thank you to Andy Neill for some of the background information on the Ealing Club.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
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
The Krisis were a mystery when Jean-Pierre Coumans sent in a photo of them, adding “the back of the photo has a stamp of a Dutch promotion bureau with tel. number + a foreign tel. number with at the end handwritten: UK. So an English band but from where? Wonder if these guys released anything on vinyl?”
Likewise, many other not so famous musicians who played the Ealing Club went on to produce fascinating music in the burgeoning psychedelic scene. Locals Chris Jackson and Tom Newman fronted R&B band The Tomcats (who also worked as The Thoughts) and later formed one of Britain’s more interesting psych ventures, July, after a stint in Spain.
