When British promoter Roy Tempest brought American soul legend, Edwin Starr, over in January 1967, the popular singer had already toured Britain several times in the previous year, supported by bands like Bluesology (featuring future star Elton John), The Senate, The Noblemen and The Guests.

Tempest, however, was also well known for bringing over tribute acts and passing them off as the real thing, so not all of the following gigs (covering January-March 1967) may have been performed by the real Edwin Starr.

We’d be interested to hear from anyone who can throw more light on this tour, which may, in fact, have been two separate tours running from late January to mid-February and mid-February to mid-March.

Most of the gigs below appear to have featured Cool Combination as Edwin Starr’s backing band but there may have been other groups that helped fulfil the engagements. Again, we’d be interested to hear from readers.

According to the website on Nottingham’s Dungeon Club, Cool Combination (aka Kool Combination) were a West Indian group and we’d love to hear in the comments section below any further information on this fascinating outfit and its personnel.

The following is a list of gigs that I’ve found so far:

28 January 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham (website: https://dungeonmods.wordpress.com/)

28 January 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Small Faces, 6-Across and Ray Bones (Spalding Guardian) Advert suggests that 6-Across may have been his backing band for this gig

29 January 1967 – Cavern Club, Liverpool with The Hideways, The Klubs, The Beechwoods, Cool Combination, Tyme & Motion and Crazy Chains (Liverpool Echo) Looks like Cool Combination backed him

Guitarist Wendell Richardson, who later played in The Sundae Times, Osibisa and Free, said that he backed Edwin Starr with The Skatelites and they played at Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue on a bill with Cream which took place on 5 February 1967. He remembers the band’s singer was Vick and Big George played keyboards. It seems likely that The Skatelites played the London gigs in early February before The Kool Combination resumed support.

2 February 1967 – Scotch of St James, Mayfair, central London (Evening Standard)

3 February 1967 – Cue Club, Paddington, central London (Melody Maker) Billed as Edwin Starr Show

5 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London with Cream and Sands (Poster/Wendell Richardson’s recollections) Backed by The Skatelites

7 February 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)

7 February 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with C-Jam Blues (Geoff Williams’ research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book/Melody Maker)

8 February 1967 – Stevenage Mecca, Locarno Ballroom, Stevenage, Hertfordshire (website: http://www.coda-uk.co.uk/60’s_music_scene.htm)

10 February 1967 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London (Melody Maker)

11 February 1967 – Rawmarsh Baths Hall, Rotherham with The Omega Miners and The Strangers (South Yorkshire and Rotherham Advertiser) Billed as backed by Kool Combination

11 February 1967 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Mr Sweetman and Johnny O’Hara & The Playboys (The Star)

13 February 1967 – Victoria Ballroom, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (The Star) The Cool Combination played at the Dungeon Club in nearby Nottingham on 14 February so could have played this gig with Edwin Starr

24 February 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Unchained and Bluesology (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/) Bluesology backed Edwin Starr for some dates in 1966 so may have backed him here

24 February 1967 – New All-Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, Liverpool Street, east London (Melody Maker)

26 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London with Garnett Mimms (Melody Maker) The Senate, who’d backed Starr on part of his October 1966 tour, worked with Garnet Mimms during 1967 so could have doubled up

2 March 1967 – Roaring ‘20s Club, Carnaby Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)

4 March 1967 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham (website: https://dungeonmods.wordpress.com/) Billed as backed by Cool Combination who are listed as a West Indian band

4 March 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, The Cool Combination and Root & Jenny Jackson and The Hightimers (Spalding Guardian) Cool Combination were his backing band

5 March 1967 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry (Coventry Evening Telegraph)

10 March 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Grimsby, Humberside (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) Billed as backed by Cool Combinations

12 March 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London with Duane Eddy (Fabulous 208)

If you can add anything, please leave a comment below