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.
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).
I did a keyword search on Yahoo! and discovered the Facebook page of a Collin Bass at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colin-Bass/107903342572496. His profile says that he “First started playing professionally in 1968 as guitarist with a band called The Krisis, playing the UK club and ballroom circuit. . . .” Then, I clicked on his website http://colinbass.com/static,Home_en.htm and looked at the photos [Collin Bass Gallery] where I found a picture of his first band, The Krisis (3 band members, not 4 as in this picture, but it looks like the same guys).
The telephone number on the picture is almost certainly a London number. The area code (965) suggested links with Willesden NW10 So I did a bit of investigation.
I’m not sure I’d recommend phoning the number 020 8965 2991 (which it would be now), as you’ll see below.
This is what you’d get now with that phone number. Perhaps a more general Agency in the past?
But they may have old records (in one sense or another).
Rainbow Exotic Dancer Agency
Entertainment Agencies
87 Herbert Gardens
Willesden
That was the manager’s address, probably still is. I played keys with them for the last six months of their existence. It was my first pro band. Amazing times.
The Address is correct but in 1968/9 there was a Mervyn Thomas and his mother living there and if my memory is correct the phone at the time is the same. I was a roadie for Krisis at the time when we went on a nice little trip right up to the north of Scotland (Wick and were based in Nairn with a landlady by the of Mrs McBean)
Hello Mervyn,
Yes, that Scottish trip was a real baptism of fire. Do you remember those GoGo dancers in Wick ?
Hi Mervyn,
I knew Melvyn Thomas very well in the late 60s and early 70s. He acted as my band’s agent. I met him through Colin Bass (Crisis). Colin and I met at school (Sinjuns, Battersea) and formed our first band together in the 60s. I’d love to know if Melvyn was still around. Have lost touch completely. I remember often visiting him at his home in Kensal Rise, and we had a rainy holiday together in the West Country in 1970, sleeping in a tiny one man tent as I remember !
I can confirm the 3rd from the left is Roger Grey (my dad) and is living in Wales and still playing the drums. Good photo – would like to see some more. I haven’t seen that outfit before – I wonder what colours they are.
Hello Jack,
I think your dad is the second from the left, in the nifty yellow and pink two-piece (by Carnaby Cavern probably). Say hello to Roger for me . I came to see you once when you lived in a farmhouse (with a barn owl in the cow shelter). They say Collin is living in N.Wales, I havn’t seen him in 44 yrs. It’s great to hear we’re all still playing.
nick
Hey. Is that Nick Brockway there (who later joined the Krisis as a keyboard player)? Tony and Roger are here with me in Tenerife at the moment, reminiscing. If that’s you, let me have your email.
Yeah Baz, it’s me. How you doing ? Sounds like a band reunion. Are you living in Tenerife ? My address is brockway(at)madasafish.com. Are you in touch with Collin ?
Dear Baz! amazing I just got on to this website thanks to Stuart getting in touch with me. Wonderful to know you’re out there!
Would much appreciate if you can email me: colinbass@kartini-music.com
I am Phil Rose. I played guitar with the Krisis for a short time. Can remember playing Streatham Ice Rink
My Grandad is Stuart (Sanders), Second from the left, I recognize the curly hair! He has two daughters and six grandchildren and we live in Milton Keynes. He still plays guitar for fun every now and then, Stuart is full of so much life and energy! You should hear from him soon, he misses ‘the good old days’. We saw this post the other day and he has been wanting to comment!
We have the original photo posted on this website and extras of the group when my grandad was still apart of it! We couldn’t believe that anyone was aware of The Krisis and was desperate to make a comment!
I have 4 more photos
Whatsapp me
Stuart sanders
07739739940
👍
The original band members of the Krisis in 1967 included Baz Knight and Tony Baggett but after just 3 gigs the band split up. The second proper professional line up members formed in 1967 were Baz Knight age 16, Tony Baggett age 18, Roger Grey age 16 and Stuart Sanders age18 who eventually left to live in Australia to be replaced by Colin Bass about a year later and Nicky Brockway much later on keyboards a few months before we eventually split up.
We supported The Herd and Small Faces in 1967, with Stuart, and possibly Amen Corner but we’re a bit hazy on that.
1968-69 with Colin Bass was really busy time for us. We supported many big name acts including The Who, Yes, Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, Jethro Tull, Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart, Jimmy Witherspoon, The Nice, Tony jackson, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Arthur Brown, The Nashville Teens, Love Sculpture (Dave Edmunds), Alan Bowen Set (with Jess Rodan), Chris Farlowe, Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, Pink Floyd, Human Instinct, Tony Rivers & The Castaways, Tyrannosaurus Rex (the original with Steve Peregrine Took), The Move (with Carl Wayne and Roy Wood).
I eventually some years later became an original founding member of Cuddly Toys during the Punk and New Romantic period. The band gained quite a cult following worldwide through album and single releases but mainly in the UK and Japan
I left the band in 1982 and and produced a compilation album of emerging young bands titled ‘A Splash Of Colour’ released on Warner Bros (one of the artist being the Doctor from Doctor and The Medics) and an album by Panache for EMI in Japan. I then went to work for a small publishing company called Radioman signing a band to EMI called The Cold Pharoahs who were dropped after receiving a huge advance from the company.
After a few other releases by various artist, the publishing company eventually closed and the owner went to live in the USA. I then left the music business for a while but in 1993 I co managed Shed Seven after obtaining them an album deal with Polydor until ousted out by my then business partner. I then went on to manage Speedy and obtained an album deal for them with Boilerhouse/Arista Records. The bands first record was B listed on Radio 1 and went to 55 in the UK charts but after 2 more single releases they were eventually dropped by the label without their album being released. Then I became a photographer and that is what I now do.
I have been compiling some gig listings for 60s bands, including many you listed above. I will check and add any here where your band is listed
Just come across this site . I was big fan of Krisis in the late 60’s.. they played at the ‘palais’ in Wellingborough. I felt sure there was a ‘tony small’ in group . Lived in Kilburn . We wrote to each other a few times.. am I right … ??? Or maybe I have tony ‘s surname wrong !!!! Would love to know ?
Hi, Julia. It’s okay, your memory is fine. Tony Small was Tony Baggett’s stage name. Wellingborough, eh? I have vague recollections of that gig. Seem to remember a cinema downstairs…
Good to know somebody other than ourselves still remembers us.
Cheers.
Baz Knight
You are correct !! The lyric !! Such such happy days and memories .. used to write to him !! Is he still ‘with us!!’hope so x
Found some gigs for this band which might be of interest
14 September 1968 – Ship & Rainbow, Wolverhampton (Express & Star)
11 October 1968 – 3 Men in a Boat, Walsall with The Classic (Express & Star)
Just found this site again .. I emailed it earlier in 2023 .. I have such special happy memories.. was my first ‘club’ I had been too .. only 14’ish .. think I still have signed foto of u all somewhere .. was there not a Barry ?? Where is Tony now and how old is he ?? Hope that not too rude to ask