Delroy Williams – lead vocals

Dave Mumford – lead guitar

Malcolm Wainman – organ

Pete Browning – tenor sax

Les Batt – baritone sax

Dick Merrit – bass

Geoff Coxon – drums

The Sugar Band was formed in late 1966 out of the ashes of West London R&B/soul outfit, Colin Shane & The Shannons. Coxon had joined the outfit that summer after working with Hampton, Middlesex group, The Others.

Around September 1967, the group’s agent linked the band with Jamaican singer Delroy Williams and they worked initially as Delroy Williams & The Sugar Band before becoming The Delroy Williams Show. Go go dancers Una and Paula joined them on stage.

During late 1968, Dave Mumford and Dick Merrit departed and were replaced by new members.

However, a combination of poor management and artistic differences led to a split in early 1969 when Coxon left to join The Kool. He subsequently reunited with Dave Mumford in Calum Bryce alongside sax player Mel Wayne, who had been Colin Shane & The Shannons from 1962-1965.

Mumford had recorded the track ‘Love Maker’ under the name Calum Bryce and needed a group to tour to promote the single. The band recorded a second single, “In My Valley”, which was never released.

Notable gigs:

30 September 1967 – Hertford Corn Exchange, Hertford, Hertfordshire with Coloured Chicks (and 10-piece Sugar Band) (Welwyn Times) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show

8 October 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)

14 October 1967 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks with Granny’s Show (Bucks Free Press) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show

20 October 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)

19 November 1967 – Newbury Plaza, Newbury, Berkshire (Newbury Weekly News)

25 November 1967 – Victoria Hotel, Forres, Scotland (Forres, Elgin & Nairn Gazette)

1 December 1967 – Ballerina, Nairn, Scotland with Keith Taylor (Forres, Elgin & Nairn Gazette)

25 December 1967 – Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)

30 December 1967 – Garrison Theatre, Graven Hill, Bicester, Oxfordshire with The Amorous Prawns (Bicester Advertiser)

13 January 1968 – Gloucester Dance YMCA, Gloucester with The Intrepids (Gloucester Citizen)

19 January 1968 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset (Bournemouth Evening Echo) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show

24 January 1968 – St Matthew’s Baths Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk with The Herd, James Brown, The Healers and The Stax (Ipswich Evening Star)

27 January 1968 – Sheridan Rooms, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)

29 January 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)

2 February 1968 – Tiger’s Head, Downham, southeast London (South East London Mercury)

4 February 1968 – Sunday Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)

10 February 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Spirit of John Morgan (West Briton & The Royal Cornwall Gazette) Billed as The Delroy Williams Show

1 March 1968 – Gig in Galashiels, Scotland

2 March 1968 – Gig in Glasgow, Scotland

3 March 1968 – Gig in Edinburgh, Scotland

4 March 1968 – Gig in Aberdeen, Scotland

5 March 1968 – Gig in Elgin, Scotland (probably Red Two Shoes)

6 March 1968 –  Gig in Stonehaven, Scotland

7 March 1968 – Gig in Dundee, Scotland

8 March 1968 – Gig in Forfar, Scotland

9 March 1968 – Victoria Ballroom, Forres, Scotland (Forres Elgin & Nairn Gazette)

9 March 1968 – Gig in Edinburgh, Scotland

10 March 1968 – Gig in Glasgow, Scotland

11-16 March 1968 – Playboy Club, Park Lane, central London

17 March 1968 – Gig in Leytonstone, Essex

18-23 March 1968 – Playboy Club, Park Lane, central London

24 March 1968 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail)

25 March 1968 – Recording

26 March 1968 – Bournemouth, Dorset (probably the Ritz)

27 March 1968 – Catford, southeast London

28 March 1968 – Ealing, west London

29 March 1968 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, London

30 March 1968 – Gloucester, Gloucestershire

31 March 1968 – Gillingham, Kent

1 April 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with the D C Dancers (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)

11 April 1968 – Colchester, Essex (Melody Maker)

12 April 1968 – Eastbourne, East Sussex (Melody Maker)

13 April 1968 – Princes Theatre & Ballroom, Yeovil, Somerset with The Generation (Western Gazette)

14 April 1968 – Stockport, Greater Manchester (Melody Maker)

15 April 1968 – Leeds, West Yorkshire  (Melody Maker)

16 April 1968 – Hanley, Staffordshire (Melody Maker)

17 April 1968 – Revolution, Mayfair, central London (Melody Maker)

18 April 1968 – Abingdon, Oxfordshire (Melody Maker)

19 April 1968 – Perton (Melody Maker)

20 April 1968 – Waddington (Melody Maker)

21 April 1968 – Silver Ends (Melody Maker)

22-23 April 1968 – London (Melody Maker)

26 April 1968 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth Pavilion, Weymouth, Dorset with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, The New Trend and The Continuity Big D Show (Dorset Evening Echo/Western Gazette) Billed as Delroy Williams and The Sugar Band

27 April 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

29 April 1968 – London (Melody Maker)

4 May 1968 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex with Unabridged Telephone Directory (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)

1 June 1968 – Savoy, Catford, southeast London (Melody Maker)

8 June 1968 – Town Hall, Clacton, Essex (Essex County Standard)

22 June 1968 – Savoy, Catford, southeast London (Melody Maker)

6 July 1968 – Roaring 20’s Club, Carnaby Street, central London (Melody Maker)

27 July 1968 – Roaring 20’s Club, Carnaby Street, central London (Melody Maker)

2 August 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

10 August 1968 – Princes Theatre & Ballroom, Yeovil, Somerset with Tomorrow’s Children (Western Gazette)

12 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Cortinas (East Kent Times & Mail)

16 August 1968 – Ballerina Ballroom, Nairn, Scotland with The New Jacobeats (Forres Elgin & Nairn Gazette)

31 August 1968 – Blue Pacific, Bristol Hotel, Gloucester (Gloucester Citizen)

2 September 1968 – Weymouth Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth, Dorset with Unruly Members  (Dorset Evening Echo)

14 September 1968 – Alex Disco Club, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Western Gazette)

23 November 1968 – Chard Guildhall, Chard, Somerset with The Storm (Western Gazette)

21 December 1968 – Bedford Corn Exchange, Bedford with Rudi’s Rock and Steve Young Sounds (Bedfordshire Times)

22 December 1968 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent with The Amboy Dukes (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham Evening Post)

Many thanks to Geoff Coxon for background information on the Sugar Band.  

Garage Hangover would love to hear from anyone who can provide more information on the band and its members.