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”.
Hedgehoppers in 1971, left to right: Alan Avon, Bill Honeyman, Colin Turner (and front) Mick Matthews
Tony Kaye (guitar, vocals) John Askey (bass) Dave Birkenhead (organ) Bill Honeyman (drums)
1967
October Original Hedgehoppers Anonymous lead singer Mick Tinsley and drummer Glenn Martin (who has joined after the top five success of “It’s Good News Week”) have participated in a swansong tour of Sweden and Lapland with bass player Howard Livett and guitarist Ian Atkinson.
(6)During their Scandinavian trip, the quartet play at the Cue Club in Gothenburg on a bill that also features Stoke-on-Trent band, The Colour Supplement. Singer Phil Tunstall will join a new version of Hedgehoppers Anonymous in December 1968. Comprised of guitarist Mick Nixon, bass player Paul Stevenson, drummer Ricky Ballan and future Climax Blues Band keyboard player George Glover, The Colour Supplement play another Swedish date with Hedgehoppers Anonymous, and further shows with The Troggs, before returning to the UK later in the month.
November On their return to England, Tinsley and Martin disband Hedgehoppers Anonymous. Tinsley establishes a solo career while Martin replaces Bill Honeyman in Sandie Shaw’s backing band, The Streamliners, which also comprises lead guitarist/singer Tony Kaye, organist Dave Birkenhead and bass player John Askey. Kaye, who began as a frontman with early 1960s Stoke-on-Trent band, The Huckleberries forms The Shandykins Four in October 1965. The following month, The Shandykins Four were chosen as Sandie Shaw’s permanent backing band and become The Streamliners. Askey and Birkenhead, who has previously played with Chris Ryan & The Crescents, The Scorpions and The Times, join The Streamliners in 1966. The group, however, will also use The Hedgehoppers Anonymous name for gigs.
NME, November 26, 1965
December Phil Tunstall’s band, The Colour Supplement had travelled to Germany during November and spent about a month playing at the Star Club in Hamburg where they meet Ritchie Blackmore (soon to return to the UK and form Roundabout, which morphs into Deep Purple). The band then plays the Storyville Clubs in Cologne and Frankfurt for about a month before returning to Britain.
(30)Hedgehoppers Anonymous perform at the Public Hall, Preston, Lancashire with The Atlantics, The Four Crestas and The Blue Notes.
The Colour Supplement, Phil Tunstall at topThe Colour Supplement, Phil Tunstall in front
1968
January Sandie Shaw & The Streamliners appear at the MIDEM Festival in Cannes, France.
February After Martin leaves Sandie Shaw’s band, The Streamliners, Tony Kaye brings in Roger Keay briefly before former member, Scots-born drummer Bill Honeyman rejoins. Honeyman is a veteran of popular Stoke-on-Trent R&B band, The Marauders having started out in Alan Avon & The Presidents with future Hedgehoppers’ singer Alan Avon, guitarist Peter Birch, bass player Brian Birch and sax player Tony Bennett.
March With the original Hedgehoppers Anonymous defunct, Kaye decides to take over the name and put together an entirely new version of the band. According to the Burton Daily Mail, the new version appears at the 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire on 10 March.
(3) Phil Tunstall’s band, The Colour Supplement appear at the Blue Ball, Risley, Staffordshire.
April(10) The Hedgehoppers Anonymous appears at the Bull’s Head, Hanford, Staffordshire.
(11)Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at the Crystal Ballroom in Stoke-on-Trent.
(12) The Colour Supplement begin a second Swedish tour.
Sandie Shaw & The Streamliners, 5 May 1968
May(12)After a disastrous tour, The Colour Supplement return to the UK and play their first show back on home soil at the Bull’s Head, Hanford.
(16)The Tony Kaye-led Hedgehoppers Anonymous appear at the Crystal Ballroom in Stoke-on-Trent.
(22) The Colour Supplement play at the Bull’s Head, Hanford.
(30) Hedgehoppers Anonymous perform at Longlands College, James Finegan Hall, Eston, Middlesbrough with The Lemon Tree and The Georgian Quintet.
June(1)After playing the Northern club scene for a few months, Hedgehoppers Anonymous are billed to appear at the Union Rowing Club in Nottingham but are replaced at the last minute by Legacy after it’s announced the band has split up. In reality, John Askey has left to join future Hedgehoppers’ singer Alan Avon’s new band, The Toyshop with Roger Jones and Tony Todd. Colin Turner from The King Pins (who have been working as The Ivy League’s backing band) takes over on bass. Turner joined the Manchester band in late 1966 prior to its relocation to the Stoke-on-Trent area and its signing with the Keith Fisher agency. He also appeared on the band’s final single for Columbia in 1967, “Summer’s Come and Gone” c/w “Another Tear Falls”.
The King Pins with Colin Turner, Star Club promo, Germany, late 1966.
(3) The Colour Supplement appear at the Basford Coronation Club in Basford, Staffordshire.
(12) Tunstall’s group return to the Bull’s Head, Hanford, Staffordshire.
(17) The Colour Supplement play at the Filleybrooke Hotel in Stone, Staffordshire.
(19)Phil Tunstall’s band The Colour Supplement appear at the Bull’s Head, Hanford, Staffordshire.
(21) The new Hedgehoppers Anonymous line up with Colin Turner appears at Bradford University with Fleetwood Mac, Blossom Toes and The Amboy Jukes.
(23) The Colour Supplement appear at the Clayton Lodge in Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire.
July(24)Phil Tunstall’s band The Colour Supplement play at the Bull’s Head, Hanford.
August(7) Alan Avon (who will replace Tunstall in Hedgehoppers in 1970) makes an appearance at Bucknall Workingmen’s club in Bucknall, Staffordshire with his band Toyshop.
(14) The Toyshop play at the Bull’s Head, Hanford, Staffordshire.
(21)The Colour Supplement perform at the Bull’s Head, Hanford.
(29) Alan Avon’s band, The Toyshop appear at the Bull’s Head in Hanford.
September(6)Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at the Bull’s Head, Hanford, Staffordshire.
(18)Alan Avon’s band The Toyshop appear at the Bull’s Head, Hanford.
(26) The Toyshop perform at the Steelman’s club in Stoke-on-Trent.
(29)Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at Mr Smith’s in Hanley, Staffordshire.
October(4) Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at the Forest Folk Hotel in Blidworth, Nottinghamshire. Immediately afterwards, lead guitarist/singer Mick Matthews (b. 18 December 1946, Knutton, Staffordshire) joins the line up after impressing the band with his song “My Friend John Carter The Kind Magician”. Matthews, who started out in The Telstars, has been playing with Harvey’s Team with singer Ian Riley and bass player Graeme Bates. The new Hedgehoppers Anonymous line up embarks on a four-week Scottish tour with Dave Berry & The Cruisers.
(9)Phil Tunstall’s band The Colour Supplement travel to the Birmingham area and play at the Mackadown, Kitts Green, West Midlands with The Passion Forest.
(11) Future Hedgehoppers’ singer Alan Avon’s band, The Toyshop appear at the Harold Clowes Hall in Bucknall, Staffordshire.
(23)The Colour Supplement perform at the Chesterfield Club in Castle Bromwich, West Midlands.
South African sleeve from early 1969 showing a short-lived lineup, photo taken November 1968 Left to right: Bill Honeyman, Mick Matthews, Colin Turner and Dave Birkenhead
November Kaye, who wants to concentrate on a management role for the band, drops out and Matthews take over lead vocal duties briefly until Phil Tunstall joins from The Colour Supplement in December. Kaye’s sons will later write for Robbie Williams.
December Future Hedgehoppers’ singer Alan Avon’s band, The Toyshop record a lone single for Polydor Records – the Carter/Lewis penned “Say Goodbye To Yesterday” c/w guitarist Tony Todd’s “Send My Love To Lucy”. John Askey leaves after this recording and Maurice Cope takes over on bass.
After arriving in South Africa, March, 1969 Article from the Natal Mercury
1969
January Hedgehoppers Anonymous are invited to play a three-month residency at Tiles nightclub in Durban, South Africa but Dave Birkenhead is unable to participate in the South African tour and stays behind to join The Look Twice Band.
February Decca re-releases Hedgehoppers Anonymous’ second single “Don’t Push Me” in South Africa with a picture sleeve featuring the short-lived line up from November 1968 depicting Honeyman, Matthews, Turner and Birkenhead.
(26) Remaining members – Phil Tunstall, Mick Matthews, Bill Honeyman and Colin Turner arrive in Durban to be feted as rock royalty.
March Hedgehoppers Anonymous start a three-month residency at Tiles nightclub. After playing a huge concert at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, they are invited to extend the Tiles residency until August.
August Following their resounding success at Tiles, Hedgehoppers Anonymous move on to Johannesburg where they hold down a residency at the 19th Level nightclub. Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at the club for three months before embarking on a short tour of Rhodesia where they appear at the Stork Club in Bulawayo and the city’s town hall.
December Hedgehoppers Anonymous return to Johannesburg to play another residency at the 19th Level nightclub before working at the Underground club below the Hotel Continental.
Left to right: Bill, Mick, Phil and Colin in 1970, shortly before Phil Tunstall’s tragic death. Photo by Barry Oliver
1970
January Hedgehoppers Anonymous sign a deal with the Highveld label to record three tracks.
March Linked with producer Tony Gibson, the group records Matthews’s “Mary Mary” backed by a beat version of Eric Morris’s “Humpty Dumpty”, which has been blended with an indigenous kwela sound, for their debut single. They also record the Matthews-Tunstall-Turner collaboration, “The Man Upstairs”.
April(10) Future Hedgehoppers’ singer Alan Avon’s band, The Toyshop play at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.
May(30)Hedgehoppers Anonymous are billed to appear at a huge rock festival to be held at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg to mark Republic Day on Monday, 31 May alongside The Bats, Omega Limited, Sounds of Brass, The Rising Sons, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, The First Acquaintance, Hawk and The Staccatos but Tunstall is killed in a road accident on the eve of the show.
June Devastated by their loss, Matthews, Honeyman and Turner return to the UK and go their separate ways. Over the next six months, Matthews works with a band in Germany before Honeyman contacts him about returning to South Africa where there is a demand for the band.
July In their absence, Highveld releases “Mary Mary” c/w “Humpty Dumpty” as a single, which peaks at #15 on the South African LM radio chart. Producer Tony Gibson has set up his own label Tojo with his wife Jo and in August issues “The Man Upstairs” backed by an instrumental version of the song entitled “The Man Downstairs” but it does not chart.
December The remaining members add singer Alan Dutton (aka Alan Avon), who has played with Honeyman during the early 1960s in Alan Avon & The Presidents and until recently was lead singer with Alan Avon & The Toyshop. Avon’s band has toured extensively throughout the UK and recorded the collectable single “These Are The Reasons” c/w “Night To Remember” for the Concord label.
1971, left to right: Mick, Colin, Alan and Bill1971, left to right: Mick Matthews, Colin Turner, Alan Avon and Bill Honeyman
1971
January To avoid any potential legal problems with Jonathan King who still owns the name, they drop the Anonymous tag and become Hedgehoppers.
February(27)Billboard magazine announces that Hedgehoppers have returned to South Africa after a spell in London. The revised line up resumes gigging at the Underground nightclub where they are booked for three months. Producer Tony Gibson’s Tojo label records a lone single combining two strong Matthews numbers – “A Song For Pete”, inspired by English guitarist Pete Clifford from The Bats (and one-time guitarist with Dusty Springfield’s band, The Echoes), and “Here’s To The Morning Sun”.
April The band opens Samantha’s, a new nightclub in Johannesburg. While there, Gibson negotiates a deal with CBS which allows the band to record an album mixing Matthews’ originals with covers of Buffalo Springfield’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Woman” and George Gershwin’s “Summertime”. (4) “A Song For Pete” on Tojo peaks at #5 on the LM Radio hit parade.
June Having given the others notice that he’ll be returning to the UK after their six-month contract is up, Avon completes a nationwide tour taking in Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley, Cape Town, Upington and Windhoek.
July After Avon returns to the UK in late July, Hedgehoppers bring in new singer, the late Andy Ionnides from Suck, who joins the band for a three-month residency at the Coq D’Or in Salisbury, Rhodesia.
August(29) “Hey!” recorded with Avon on lead vocals, backed by the non-album “My Friend John Carter The King Magician”, featuring Matthews on lead vocals, hits #2 on the LM Radio hit parade and tops the Rhodesian charts.
September(17) “Hey” peaks at #9 on the Springbok Radio hit parade.
October(2)Billboard magazine reports that Hedgehoppers are touring Rhodesia. After the tour finishes this month, keyboard player and singer Rupert Mellor from The First Aquaintence takes over from Ionnides. Hedgehoppers return to Samantha’s and hold down a residency until the end of the year. While there, the band records three new Mick Matthews’s songs for Parlophone Records – “I’m On My Way Ma”, “Blue, Blue, Blue” and “Young Man On The Road”, all featuring Matthews on lead vocals.
November “Blue, Blue, Blue” backed by “I’m On My Way Ma” is released.
1972
March(4)Shortly after watching their beloved Stoke City beat Chelsea in the League Cup final at Wembley, Matthews leaves the band and returns to the UK. He later returns to South Africa and forms Ballyhoo, who will have significant success in the 1970s. Hedgehoppers carries on as a trio and back Wellington Count Judge on the Mojo single “Noma Kunjalo” c/w “Salani” as The Cool Cats. A few months later, Honeyman is killed in a road accident and the band splits with Turner returning to the UK.
From left: Alan Avon, Bill Honeyman (in back with glasses), Mick Matthews and Colin Turner. Photo by Gavin Furlonger
Sources:
I Started Out To Write A Song, by Mick Matthews and Adrian English (awaiting publication). Strange Brew – Eric Clapton & The British Blues Boom 1965-1970, by Christopher Hjort, Jawbone Press, 2007 Tapestry of Delights Revisited by Vernon Joynson, Borderline Productions, 2006.
Information on the King Pins from the Starclub Hamburg site. The photo montage is their copyright.
Live dates sourced from Melody Maker, Birmingham Evening Mail, The Evening Sentinel, Nottingham Evening Post, Middlesbrough Evening Gazette.
Many thanks to Mick Matthews, Alan Avon, George Glover, Tertius Louw, Marq Vas, Benjy Mudie and Gavin Furlonger. Thank you to George Glover, Mike Nixon and Paul Stevenson for passing on details about The Colour Supplement, to Joe Toriati for the photos of this band and to Marq Vas for 45 label scans.
Thank you to Mick Matthews and Benjy Mudie at Fresh for permission to use the Hedgehoppers’ tracks. Keep an eye on Fresh Music’s website for the forthcoming Hedgehoppers CD: www.freshmusic.co.za
Mick Matthews and Adrian English’s I Started Out To Write A Song is awaiting publication.
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
1965, from left: Mick Tinsley, Alan Laud, John Stewart, Ray Honeyball and Leslie Dash
Mike Tinsley (vocals) John Stewart (lead guitar, vocals) Tony Cockayne (rhythm guitar) Ray Honeyball (bass) Leslie Dash (drums)
1963
November Former Electrons lead singer Mike Tinsley (b. 16 December 1940, Portsmouth, Hants), guitarists John Stewart (b. 18 March 1941, Torphins, Kincardineshire, Scotland) and Tony Cockayne; bass player Ray Honeyball (b. 6 June 1941, Whickham, County Durham) and drummer Leslie Dash (b. 3 April 1943, Hillingdon, Middlesex) are all Royal Air Force ground crew based at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire, England. Captivated by the beat scene exploding in the UK, they decide to form a band, The Trendsetters. The quintet performs initially in the officers’ mess at RAF Wittering but then ventures out, debuting at the White Lion pub in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. After receiving a positive reception, they play at the Dorothy Ballroom and the Corn Exchange in Cambridge.
1964
The band changes its name to The Hedgehoppers; a nickname for the “V” bombers, which can fly a few hundred feet above the ground, under enemy radar to avoid detection and ground-to-air missiles. A local agent spots The Hedgehoppers playing the local pub scene and arranges live gigs to showcase the band at weekends. By June, The Hedgehoppers have opened for Unit Four Plus Two, The Hollies and The Kinks among others.
November (22) The Hedgehoppers make their first appearance in Cambridge, playing at the Alley.
December (26) The band performs at the Corn Exchange, Cambridge with The Cascades.
1965
February (7) The Hedgehoppers play at the Alley Club in Cambridge.
March (6) The Hedgehoppers appear at the Victoria Ballroom in Cambridge.
(14) The band returns to the Alley Club for another show.
April(1) The group performs at the Victoria Ballroom in Cambridge.
(17) The Hedgehoppers open for The Primitives at the Corn Exchange, Cambridge.
May (8) The group plays at the Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge.
(22) The Hedgehoppers open for Brian Poole & The Tremeloes at the Corn Exchange, Cambridge.
July (3) The band returns for another show at the Victoria Ballroom in Cambridge.
(17) The Hedgehoppers appear at the Dorothy Ballroom in Cambridge with Bob Ludman and His Orchestra, The Seminoles and Ben Elliot and The Klan. Alan Laud (b. 13 March 1946, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire), who is a civilian living near the RAF base takes over from Cockayne on rhythm guitar after meeting the musicians in a local pub.
August The Hedgehoppers are playing at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge when they are spotted by Trinity College student Kenneth King (aka Jonathan King), who is working as a producer for Decca Records through his own company “Jonathan King Enterprises”. The aspiring producer is about to release the single “Everyone’s Gone To The Moon” under his recording name Jonathan King and approaches The Hedgehoppers to see if they will record another of his songs – “It’s Good News Week”. King, who is keener on becoming a producer than a singer, suggests that they add the Anonymous tag so that they can keep their fan base but protect their anonymity from the RAF, which is unaware of the recording. The band records “It’s Good News Week” under the musical direction of Arthur Greenslade, who adds session players, including guitarist “Big” Jim Sullivan, to back Tinsley on the track.
(14) Still billed as The Hedgehoppers, they play at the Victoria Ballroom in Cambridge.
September King’s tongue-in-cheek protest song, “It’s Good News Week” backed by “Afraid of Love” is released. The single’s success generates a huge amount of publicity but also creates problems with the RAF, which has not given the musicians the proper authority to find employment outside the Armed Forces. Hedgehoppers Anonymous make their debut TV appearance on ITV’s Ready Steady Go! They also appear on BBC TV’s Top of The Pops to plug the single.
(11) Billed as The Hedgehoppers, they play at the Victoria Ballroom in Cambridge.
West End Promotion Ad, New Musical Express, October 1965
October Tinsley successfully submits an application to the RAF for a discharge.
(1) Still billed as The Hedgehoppers, they appear at Bassingbourn Village College, Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire with The Hornets.
(15)NME reports that Dash, Honeyball and Stewart have applied to the RAF for a discharge but it is not known whether these will be accepted. Behind the scenes, London session musician Glenn Martin (b. 22 January 1946, Wembley Park, Middlesex), who is the resident drummer at the Ad-Lib club and has been playing with Ayshea Brough, takes over from Leslie Dash for live gigs while the drummer tries to gain a discharge.
Tour dates announced, New Musical Express, October 15, 1965
(29) With Martin onboard, the new line up plays at the YOR Club, Parr Hall, Warrington, Cheshire with The Boys in support . On the same day, NME reports that the future of Hedgehoppers Anonymous is still in the balance as it is uncertain whether Dash, Honeyball and Stewart’s applications will be accepted. Soon after, Stewart successfully gains a release from the RAF. Meanwhile, the group is forced to turn down an offer to join the Gene Pitney tour because of the travelling involved.
Opportunity to open for Gene Pitney lost New Musical Express, October 29, 1965
(30) Hedgehoppers Anonymous perform at Altrincham Stamford Hall in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.
(31) The group makes an appearance at Peter Stringfellow’s Sheffield Mojo club, Yorkshire.
November(2) The band performs on Rediffusion’s Five O’Clock Funfair.
(3) Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at the Kingston Cellar in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.
(4) They perform at the Swindon Locarno Ballroom in Swindon, Wiltshire.
(5) Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at Leighton Baths, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.
(6) “It’s Good News Week” peaks at UK #5 and also reaches #48 in the US Billboard chart. On the same day, the band are billed to appear at Rawtenstall Astoria, Rawtenstall, Lancashire.
(7) Hedgehoppers Anonymous perform at the Carlton in Slough, Berkshire.
(8) The following day, the band plays at the Atalanta Ballroom in Woking, Surrey.
(10) Following a show at High Wycombe Town Hall the previous day, the group performs at the Stevenage Locarno in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
(11) They perform at Wisbech Rose and Crown, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
(13) The Grantham Journal lists the band appearing at Drill Hall, Grantham, Lincolnshire with Them Dogs and The Scene.
(16) Hedgehoppers Anonymous appear at an All-nighter session at the Cavern in Liverpool with The Baskerville Hounds, The Verbs, The Drifting Sands, The Richmond Group, The Dresdens, The Almost Blues, The Harpos, The Masterminds and The Fourmost.
(18) The band plays at the 100 Club in Oxford Street, London.
Leslie and Ray go “part-time”New Musical Express, November 26, 1965
(26)NME reports that Dash and Honeyball are likely to be temporarily replaced because their applications to buy themselves out of the RAF have been turned down a second time. The magazine goes on to say that Dash and Honeyball will return to RAF Wittering today and their availability for appearances – as close as next week – is still uncertain. The band’s agent Chris Peers tells NME that the two musicians will work on as many dates as possible, but for some bookings replacements will have to be brought in. Behind the scenes, however, Dash decides not to continue with the band and will later move out to South Africa where he currently resides. Glenn Martin takes over but will not be officially announced as Dash’s replacement until December. On the same day, the band appears Hillside Ballroom, Hereford with The Alan Walker Group .
1965, from left: Ray Honeyball, Alan Laud, Mick Tinsley, and John Stewart
December Decca rush releases a second single to capitalise on the success of “It’s Good News Week” but the Kenneth King written “Don’t Push Me” c/w “Please Don’t Hurt Your Heart for Me” sells poorly. Like Dash, Ray Honeyball cannot get a release from the RAF. Former Von Dykes bass player Lee Jackson is brought in and put on a retainer. The idea is that he will fill in for Honeyball whenever the bass player cannot honour an engagement. While on a retainer, Jackson plays some shows with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
Lineup after late ’65, from left: Tom Fox, Glenn Martin, Mike Tinsley, Alan Laud and John Stewart
(1) The band plays at Stourbridge Town Hall, Stourbridge, West Midlands.
(2) Hedgehoppers Anonymous perform at the Blue Moon club in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire with The Alan Walker Group.
(3) They appear at Trowbridge Town Hall in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
(4) The group plays Redhill Market Hall in Redhill, Surrey.
Photo: Boyfriend, 4 December 1965
(6) Hedgehoppers Anonymous appear at Bridgewater Town Hall, Bridgewater, Somerset.
(8) They play at Kidderminster Town Hall, Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
(11) Hedgehoppers Anonymous appear at Nelson Imperial in Nelson, Lancashire.
(12) The group plays a show at Manchester Oasis club.
(16) The band appears at the Pier Pavilion in Worthing, West Sussex.
Keith Jackson and Glen Martin replace Ray Honeyball and Leslie Dash, New Musical Express, December 17, 1965
(17)NME announces that Keith Jackson and Glenn Martin have formally replaced Ray Honeyball and Leslie Dash who have been unable to obtain discharges from the RAF.
(22)Record Mirror announces the new line up, introducing Lee Jackson. However, Jackson only appears in a few publicity photos before finding work elsewhere. He subsequently joins Gary Farr & The T-Bones and then The Nice. Londoner Tom Fox takes over on bass from The Beat Boys and Barry Edwards and The Semi-Tones.
(27) The group plays at Bath Pavilion, according to Western Scene.
1966
January Having signed up to Chris Peers Promotions the previous year, the new line up starts to pick up steady work around the country.
(15) Boyfriend magazine lists the group appearing at the George Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire.
(21-26) Boyfriend magazine reports that the band is touring Scotland.
(29)Boyfriend magazine has the group playing at the Town Hall in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts.
April Martin suggests that Hedgehoppers Anonymous cut a version of Chip Taylor’s “Wild Thing”, which is recorded and prepared for release. However, according to Martin, Kenneth King is not convinced about the song’s merit and persuades the musicians to record “Baby (You’re My Everything)” (a Little Jerry Williams ballad that Jonathan King had the rights to) instead. Shortly afterwards, The Troggs top the charts with their own version of “Wild Thing”, allegedly after hearing Hedgehoppers Anonymous’ unreleased version. However, Jonathan King relates “the demo of Wild Thing was first played to me by the publishers; I loved the song and allowed the guys to play on it but their version wasn’t even as good as the demo so I passed and the song was given to Larry Page who produced it with the Troggs.”
(22) The Southend Standard lists the band playing at the Cricketers Inn, Westcliff, Southend, Essex with Bubbles & Co.
Photo: Mirabelle, 23 April 1966 issue
May Having appeared on ITV’s Ready Steady Go! Hedgehoppers Anonymous return with a third single, “Baby (You’re My Everything)” c/w “Remember”. The band’s poppy sound, however, increasingly sounds dated, and the single does not chart.
June(10) Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at the California Ballroom, Dunstable with The Felders.
(11)Melody Maker reports that Mick Tinsley has been ordered to rest for a week after being injured by fans at the Star Rink Ballroom, West Hartlepool last weekend. The band appears on BBC Radio’s Saturday Club this weekend.
July(23) They appear at St Mary’s Hall in Bognor Regis, West Sussex with Listen.
August(26) The band moves towards a more harder-edge rock sound, which culminates in the mod/freakbeat classic “Daytime” which is backed by “That’s The Time”. Unfortunately, the single is not a chart success. “Daytime” is an adaption of Les 5 Gentlemen’s “Dis-Nous Dylan” (originally co-written by Jean Fredenucci of Les 5 Gentlemen and T. Saunders) with English lyrics by John Stewart. Les 5 Gentlemen also record “Daytime” with Stewart’s lyrics for a release on the Major Minor label as Darwin’s Theory.
September(10) Hedgehoppers Anonymous record for BBC Radio’s Saturday Club with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Fortunes and Glen Dale.
Photo: Mirabelle, 15 October 1966 issue
October The band plays at the Lyceum Ballroom in London on a bill that includes Tom Jones.
(12) Hedgehoppers Anonymous appear at Tiles nightclub on Oxford Street in central London with The Excels.
(15) The band plays at Leyton Baths Hall, Leyton, east London with The Plague.
(22) Hedgehoppers Anonymous play at Bedford Corn Exchange, Bedford with The Day-Stroms and The Tone Benders.
November(26) The band appears at Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent with The Kingpins.
December(9) Final single Alan Laud’s “Stop Press” c/w “Little Memories” is another chart failure.
(17) Hedgehoppers Anoymous perform at Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Bucks with The Addix.
(23) The band appears Lewes Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex with The Zombies and The Teen Team.
1967
January(6) The band plays at the Winter Gardens, Droitwich, Worcestershire.
(7) Hedgehoppers Anonymous appear at the Marine Ballroom, Morecambe Pier, Lancashire.
New Musical Express, January 14, 1967
(14)NME reports that the current Hedgehoppers Anonymous will split up on 11 February but that Martin and Fox are planning to form a new group, which will probably use the same name. On the same day, Mike Tinsley releases his debut solo single, “Let It Be Me”, produced by Kenneth King, on Decca. The publication also announces that Alan Laud and John Stewart will be forming a trio with ex-Overlanders’ member Terry Widlake but the collaboration never happens. Alan Laud later moves to Spain where he runs a bar in Torremolinos while John Stewart, who is intent on pursuing a career as a songwriter, subsequently relocates to the United States. He currently works in a recording studio in Tennessee. Rather than keep the Hedgehoppers Anonymous name going, Glenn Martin and Tom Fox get a job with blues singer Kenny Barnard, who is opening at the Bag O’Nails club after resident band The Peddlers have moved on.
(22) Martin (on his 21st birthday) and Fox back Kenny Barnard at the Bag O’Nails club. Soon after The Peddlers return to the Bag O’Nails and Barnard’s band finds itself without any work. The musicians go their separate ways. Tom Fox disappears from the music scene but allegedly commits suicide years later.
February (2) The band is advertised to play at the Embassy Suite, Thursday Club, Colchester, Essex with Hap and Unit 4.
(11) Hedgehoppers Anonymous officially disbands.
March Having moved to Halifax, West Yorkshire in February, Martin revives The Hedgehoppers Anonymous name and brings in lead guitarist Ian Atkinson from The Morton Fraser Harmonica Gang. Atkinson recommends his friend from Leeds, bass player Howard Livett. Keyboard player Vincent Crane joins for a few gigs but soon leaves to form The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Atkinson contacts his friend organist/singer Chris Lazenby, who has previously worked with the guitarist in Bradford band, The Del Rio 4. They also recruit a second lead guitar player from Oldham. The new version mixes band originals – “It’s Good News Week”, “Don’t Push Me” and “Daytime” with covers material.
Hedgehoppers, summer 67 photo with Pete, Ian Atkinson, Glenn Martin, Chris Lazenby and Howard Livett
April The new line up embarks on a busy schedule of nation-wide gigs that takes in venues as far flung as Glasgow and Leicester.
August Lazenby and the second lead guitarist depart when Martin convinces original singer Mick Tinsley to return to front the band. Lazenby joins the house band at Butlins in Minehead and reunites with Glenn Martin in 1970 when their band works the summer and winter seasons at the Butlins Hotels in Cliftonville near Margate, Kent.
(25) With Tinsley back onboard, the band performs at the Boogaloo, Castleford, West Yorkshire with The Move.
September (16) Hedgehoppers Anonymous appear the Top Spot Ballroom, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with The Knack .
Sweden, 1967, from left: Ian Atkinson, Mick Tinsley, Glenn Martin and Howard Livett
October Hedgehoppers Anonymous featuring Mick Tinsley, Glenn Martin, Howard Livett and Ian Atkinson embark on a short tour of Sweden and Lapland.
(6) While playing at the Cue Club in Gothenburg, Stoke-on-Trent band The Colour Supplement open the show. The band’s singer Phil Tunstall will join a new, completely unrelated, version of Hedgehoppers Anonymous in December 1968.
Swedish tour, 1967, from left: Mick Tinsley, Howard Livett, Glenn Martin and Ian Atkinson
(18) Liseberg Pop In Club in Gothenburg.
November On their return to the UK, Tinsley resumes a solo career. He later becomes a co-writer for songs covered by Joe Dolan and Kelly Marie. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, Livett works on the Mecca scene with the band Huckleberry and spends over 10 years playing the Leeds City Varieties but passes away in August 2005. Martin joins Sandie Shaw’s backing group, The Streamliners, featuring Stoke-on-Trent musicians Tony Kaye (guitar), Dave Birkenhead (organ) and John Askey (bass). While with Sandie Shaw & The Streamliners, Martin will appear at the MIDEM Festival in Cannes in January 1968. When Martin leaves The Streamliners in February, Tony Kaye decides to use the Hedgehoppers Anonymous name for a new, completely unrelated, band, which with a modified line up will continue into the early 1970s, recording in South Africa as Hedgehoppers. Mick Tinsley sings “Wrap Me in Love” co-written with Peter Hawkins of Pickettywitch as a soloist for the UK at the Yamaha World Song Festival in Tokyo 1976. He co-writes songs with Peter Yellowstone for Joe Dolan and Kelly Marie.
2009
October Tinsley’s solo album My Surival is released on the British Academy Songwriters Composers Authors’ label. The album is produced by Tony Swain, who has previously worked with Spandau Ballet, Alison Moyet and Bananarma among others.
Mick Tinsley, May 2010
2010
June Prism Leisure Records re-release two CDs featuring Tinsley singing on the songs “Songs That Won The War” and “English Street Party” recorded in the 1990s. Glenn Martin, who has worked as a session drummer over the last 40 years is drum chair at the Surrey Jazz Orchestra.
December(4) Tinsley will be appearing at the Amersham Rock and Roll Club with Chris Farlowe, Vanity Fair, The Searchers and Honeybus.
Sources:
The Best of The Cellars – The Story of the Cavern Club by Phil Thompson, Tempus Publishing Limited, 2007. New Musical Express, 1 October 1965 (page 9), 15 October 1965 (pages 9 and 13), 29 October 1965 (pages 6, 9 and 10), 26 November 1965 (page 9), 17 December 1965 (page 6), 14 January 1967 (page 8).
Many thanks to Mick Tinsley, Glenn Martin, Jonathan King, Chris Lazenby, Mick Cockayne, Lee Jackson, Jenni Livett, Christopher Hjort, Tertius Louw, Paul Green and Tony Walter for providing further details. Thank you to Paul Tinsley for the photo of Mick Tinsley in May 2010. Thanks also to Samuel Coomans for one of the sleeve scans and to Hans Olof Gottfridsson.
Mike Tinsley’s “My Survival” is available on the BASCA Academy Recording Digital label and can be purchased on Amazon.
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
First UK EP showing lineup January 1965. From left: Alan Henderson, Pat McAuley, Van Morrison, Billy Harrison and Jackie McAuley
Van Morrison (harmonica, saxophone, vocals) Alan Henderson (bass) Billy Harrison (lead guitar) Eric Wrixon (keyboards) Ronnie Millings (drums)
1963
The group is formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Henderson (b. 26 November 1944, Belfast, N. Ireland), Harrison (b. 14 October 1942, Belfast, N. Ireland) and Millings (or Mellings), who have previously played in a local three-piece outfit, The Gamblers. The trio adds keyboard player Eric Wrixon (b. 29 June 1947, Belfast, N. Ireland) and a short while later completes the original line up with singer Morrison (b. George Ivan, 31 August 1945, Belfast, N. Ireland) from local band The Monarchs. Wrixon names the band after a 1950s B horror film.
1964
April (10) According to an article in Belfast weekly, Cityweek, dated 22 September 1966, Them had played their first ever gig at the Maritime Hotel in College Square North as a trio of Harrison, Henderson and Millings as Van Morrison was playing at the Plaza and had give two weeks’ notice. The trio played in the break for The College Boys.
(17) One of the first R&B/beat group’s in the province, the Morrison fronted Them quickly build a reputation as a strong live act holding down a residency at the Maritime Hotel. The group’s repertoire includes a blistering 15-minute version of Bobby Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light”, and a 20-minute improvisation of Morrison’s celebration of teenage lust, “Gloria”. (Although Morrison is credited for the song’s lyrics, Harrison and Henderson have contributed significantly on the musical side.)
(24) Them return for a show at the Maritime Hotel in Belfast.
May The band attracts the attention of manager Phil Solomon (currently working with Irish pop trio The Bachelors), who is greatly impressed by the band’s live performances (and Morrison in particular). Solomon encourages Decca’s Dick Rowe to see the band perform at the Maritime, and Rowe in turn arranges a session in London. (According to Cityweek‘s 22 September 1966 issue, the group had already recorded a three-track demo for local producer Peter Lloyd comprising “Stormy Monday”, “I Got My Mojo Working” and “Don’t Start Crying Now”.)
(1) Them play at the Martime Hotel, Belfast.
(8)The group appears at the Maritime Hotel, Belfast.
(15) Another show takes place at the Maritime Hotel, Belfast.
(22) The group returns for a show at the Maritime Hotel, Belfast.
(29) Them appear at the Martime Hotel, Belfast.
June Them relocate to London and a hotel in Portobello Road, where they hang out with their label mates The Poets.
French EP showing original drummer Ronnie Millings (with shades)
July(5) The group enters Decca’s West Hampstead, London studios to begin recording, but the three-hour session is a stressful affair and Rowe decides to employ session musicians Arthur Greenslade (organ) and Bobby Graham (drums) to “fill out” the sound. Them records Slim Harpo’s “Don’t Come Crying Now” and Van Morrison’s “Gloria”, “One Two Brown Eyes” and “Philosophy”, which are all released over the next year. The band also records covers of “Groovin’”, “Turn On your Love Light” and “You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover” which are shelved. After the recordings, Wrixon is forced to leave (in part because his father objects to a disproportionate royalty split between the management and the group and in part because he is still at school and has ‘A’ levels to complete). Pat McAuley (b. 17 March 1944, Coleraine, N.Ireland) takes over the keyboard position.
September(4) The group’s debut single, “Don’t Start Crying Now” backed by “One Two Brown Eyes” is released but fails to chart.
October The group returns to the studio to record an electrifying version of Big Joe Williams’s blues classic “Baby Please Don’t Go”. Session guitarist Jimmy Page adds rhythm guitar to the recording (and does not play lead as some sources suggest).
(15) Them are billed to perform at the Zeeta House, Putney, Surrey. However, there is another west London band with this name who soon become Themselves to avoid confusion with Van Morrison’s band so this may be that group.
November(6) “Baby Please Don’t Go” backed by Morrison’s “Gloria” is released. Millings leaves and Pat McAuley moves onto drums.
December The short-lived (yet well photographed) new line-up appears on the popular TV show Ready Steady Go!
1965
January Pat’s brother Jackie (aka John) (b. 14 December 1946, Coleraine, N. Ireland) is added on keyboards as the group begins work on its next single, a recording of their new producer, Bert Berns’s “Here Comes The Night”. Some sources maintain that organ player Phil Coulter and drummer Alan White are brought in to play the McAuley brothers’ parts, but this is disputed by the band members. (Berns, an American producer working in the UK is impressed with Morrison as a vocalist and will continue to work with the group over the next few months.)
Photo: Cityweek
February Aided by TV appearances, “Baby Please Don’t Go” hits UK #10, while “Gloria” quickly becomes an anthem for the emerging US garage band generation. Decca releases an EP featuring both sides of Them’s debut single, the recent hit and Morrison’s “Philosophy” recorded during the July sessions.
(10) Western Scene lists the band playing at Bristol Corn Exchange.
(13)The Kilmarnock Standard lists the band playing at the Community Centre, Auchinleck, Scotland with The Blue Chekkers.
(15) Western Scene lists the band playing at Bath Pavilion.
(18)According to the Worthing Herald, the band appears at the Pier Pavilion in Worthing, West Sussex.
(20)Them appear at the Club Noreik, Tottenham, north London.
(22)The Warrington Guardian lists the group at the YOR Club, Parr Hall, Warrington, Cheshire with The Clayton Squares.
(25)The band performs at Swindon’s Locarno Ballroom with The Knives and Forks.
(26)Them plays at Woolwich Polytechnic in southeast London.
(27)The band appears at Manchester University.
March “Here Comes The Night” hits UK #2 and is the group’s most successful release. The band begins work on its debut album, but sessions are once again plagued with problems. Some sources suggest that the group’s three producers Bert Berns, Dick Rowe and Tommy Scott supplement the band with session players, although this is disputed by band members.
(1)The Dorset Evening Echo lists Them at the Pavilion Ballroom, Weymouth, Dorset with The Soundsmen and The Silhouttes.
(2)The band plays at Wallington Public Hall in Wallington, Surrey.
(3)Them perform at Stourbridge Town Hall in Worcestershire.
(4)The group appears at Kidderminster Town Hall in Worcestershire.
(9) The Yorkshire Evening Post lists the group performing at the Three Coins in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
(13) The Stockport County Express says Them appear at the Manor Lounge in Stockport with The Mersey Squares.
(14) The Birmingham Evening Mail reports that the band plays at the Brum Kavern Club, Small Heath, West Midlands with The King Bees.
(16)The Southern Echo lists the band playing at the Empire Hall, Totton with Gary Young & The Deacons.
(19)The Ruislip & Northwood Gazette lists the group playing at Botwell House, Hayes, Middlesex.
(20)The Grantham Journal has Them playing at Drill Hall, Grantham, Lincolnshire with The Delcounts.
(21)Them perform at the Pigalle in central London.
(22)The group plays at the Adelphi in West Bromwich, West Midlands with the Uglys.
(23)The Woking Herald lists the band at Walton Playhouse.
(24-28)Them takes part in a short tour of Scotland, according to Beat Instrumental.
(25)During the Scottish tour, the band appears at the Two Red Shoes in Elgin.
(29)Music Echo from Liverpool reports that Them appear at Silver Blades in Liverpool.
(30)Them play at the Floral Hall in Gorston-on-Sea, Norfolk.
April (1) The band returns to perform at the Manor Lounge, Stockport, Greater Manchester with The Mersey Squares.
Photo: Melody Maker, 3 April 1965
(4)Them appear at the Ritz in Birmingham.
Photo: Cityweek
(9)The group plays at Leamington Town Hall in Warwickshire. On the same day, Billy Harrison responded to the band’s critics in an article entitled “‘Them’ Hit Back” in the Belfast publication Cityweek.
(10)Them performs at Dudley Town Hall in the West Midlands.
(11) Them perform at the New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, west London with many others. Beat Instrumental also has the band appearing at the Co-Op in Gravesend, Kent earlier during the day. It is not clear whether this happens as the Sussex Evening Express also lists the band appearing at the Whitehall in East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Hounds.
(13)The Southern Echo lists the band at Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke, Hampshire with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Evil Eyes and The Trinity.
(14) The Birmingham Evening Mail reports that Them appear at the Mackadown, Kitts Green, West Midlands with The Tombstones.
Gloria reaches #1 on KRLA, April 14, 1965Early US mention for band in KRLA’s Beat, May 19, 1965
(17)Beat Instrumental reports the band performing at the Market Hall in Redhill, Surrey.
(18)Beat Instrumental lists Them at the Oasis, Manchester.
(22)The Western Gazette advertises the group appearing at the Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Bo-Peeps.
(23)Beat Instrumental reports that the band is performing another show in Gravesend, Kent but this is unlikely.
(24) Beat Instrumental lists Them playing in Kirkcaldy, Scotland but this is unlikely as the band headed back to Northern Ireland around this time. Unhappy with the band’s direction and his personal treatment, Jackie McAuley leaves after a show at St Columbana’s Parish Church in Ballyhome, Northern Ireland and is replaced by ex-Cheynes member Peter Bardens (b. 19 June 1944, Westminster, London, England; d. 22 January 2002).
Them’s first UK LP, The Angry Young Them, Peter Bardens in pink shirt next to VanFirst U.S. issue, featuring “Here Comes the Night”Second U.S. cover to capitalize on “Gloria”
May “Gloria” charts for a week at US #93, selling mostly in California where it hits Top 10 in some major cities.
(1) The Walthamstow Guardian reports that Them play at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London.
(7) Belfast publication, Cityweek reports that Them have been recording a lot in the past few days with new organist Peter Bardens.
(9) Them perform at the Winter Gardens in Margate, Kent with Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, The Nashville Teens and The Fourmost.
(11) The band appears at Bristol Chinese R&B Club, Corn Exchange, Bristol, according to the Western Scene.
Photo: Surrey Mirror, 14 May 1965
(14) The Streatham News reports that Them appear Wimbledon Palais, southwest London.
Photo: Boyfriend magazine, 15 May 1965
(17) The Enfield Gazette & Observer reports that Them perform at the Potter’s Bar Ritz in north London with The Zephyrs, Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages and The Mark Four.
(20)The Worthing Herald lists the band playing at Worthing Assembly Hall.
(25) Them appear at the Assembly Hall, Wallington, near Croydon, south London.
(26) The band performs at Stourbridge Town Hall in Worcestershire.
(28) Them play at Winchester Town Hall in Hampshire.
(29) The band appears at the Rhodes Centre in Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire.
(30) The band plays at Elm Park in Hornchurch, east London.
June(1)Them begin a UK tour at Tunbridge Wells Public Hall. (The tour will end on 21 June at the Beachcombers, Leigh and Bolton). During this period, Pat McAuley is briefly replaced by former drummer Ronnie Millings before rejoining the group.
(2) Western Scene lists the band playing at Bristol Corn Exchange.
(5)The Cornish Guardian notes the band will play at the Par Stadium in St Austell before later appearing at the Riveria Lido in the evening.
(7)The Gloucester Citizen reports the band appearing at the Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with The Saxons.
(11)The Morrison-penned “One More Time” fails to chart. Them’s debut album (The Angry Young) Them is released in the UK to coincide with the single but is another chart failure.
Thanks to Andy Neill for the photo
(17)Them perform at the Ritz Club, Skewen, south Wales with The Jay Birds and The Eyes of Blue.
(18) Belfast publication Cityweek reports that Jackie McAuley is back home and is helping to reform The Yaks. McAuley, however, soon moves to Dublin and learns to play guitar. He will rejoin his brother in a rival Them in late December 1965.
(19) Them play at Dudley Town Hall in the West Midlands.
(21) The band appears at the Beachcomber in Leigh.
(24) Them perform at Leeds University.
(25) The group appears at the Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Rodgers Lodgers.
(26) “Here Comes The Night” hits US #24. On the same day, the Lincolnshire Standard reports that Them play at the Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders and Rodgers Lodgers.
July Original Them member, Eric Wrixon completes his studies.
(3)The Lancashire Evening Post reports that Them appear at Public Hall, Preston, Lancashire with Bob Johnson & The Bobcats and The Wildcats.
Photo: Cityweek
(9)Harrison responds to rumours that Them are breaking up in an article in Cityweek. In the article, entitled “We are not breaking up”, he insists the group has no intention of splitting.
(15)Them perform at Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Around his time Billy Harrison is sacked and replaced by Scottish guitarist Joe Baldi (b. Joseph Baldi, 16 March 1943, La Spezia Italy), who has played with Bardens in Hamilton King’s Blues Messengers. Harrison will briefly return in mid-October.
Photo: Richard Gleave
(17) Them appear at Clacton Town Hall, Clacton, Essex with The Vaqueros and The Blue-Berries.
(18) The new line-up plays the Whitehall in East Grinstead, West Sussex backed by Johnny Fine & The Ramblers, according to the Sussex Evening Express.
(19) The Belfast Telegraph reports that Pat McAuley was sacked today. He is subsequently replaced by Englishman Terry Noon, who has previously worked with Gene Vincent.
(21)The Littlehampton Gazette lists the band at the Top Hat in Littlehampton, West Sussex, possibly marking Noon’s debut.
Photo: Cityweek
(23)Cityweek reports that Them now contains only Van Morrison and Alan Henderson in an article entitled “…And then there were two”. Peter Bardens, however, does remain with the band. The Belfast publication also notes that Pat McAuley resigned from the band rather than was sacked.
(26-27) Them’s new line up appears at the Queen’s Ballroom, Cleveleys, Lancashire with two supporting groups after playing in Scarborough on the 25th July.
(28) The Bolton Evening News says the band performs at the Beachcomber, Bolton, Greater Manchester.
(29) Beat Instrumental reports that Them are appearing at the Pavilion Ballroom on the Isle of Man.
August A second Berns song, “(It Won’t Hurt) Half As Much” is released but doesn’t chart. In the US the single’s b-side “I’m Gonna Dress In Black”, written by producer Tommy Scott under the pseudonym ‘Gillon’, is released instead but is not a success.
(3) Them play at the Mexican Hat, Worthing, West Sussex, according to the Worthing Gazette.
(4) The Camberley News reports that Them play at the Agincourt Ballroom in Camberley, Surrey.
(15) The Western Gazette advertises the group appearing at the Gaumont, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Byrds, Unit 4 Plus 2, Charles Dickens & The Artwoods, Johnny B Great & The Quotations, Sue Holloway and Jerry Stevens .
(23) The Cambridge News reports that Them play at the Dorothy Ballroom in Cambridge.
(28) The Lancashire Evening Post lists the band appearing in the Marquee in the grounds of Clitheroe Castle, Burnley, Lancashire with The Fortune Tellers.
(30) The Cambridge News advertises the group appearing at Bigmore Hall in Cambridge.
(31) The Eastern Evening News reports that Them appear at the Gala Ballroom in Norwich with Pentad.
September (1) Former members Billy Harrison and Pat McAuley (now on keyboards) announce their own version of Them in London on this day, which contains singer Nick Wymer (ex-Pink Faires), drummer Skip Alan (ex-Donovan) and bass player Mark Scott (ex-Adam Faith). The group is initially dubbed “Some of Them”.
(4) The Bolton Evening News reports that Van Morrison’s Them play at Bury Palais De Danse, Bury, Greater Manchester. Soon afterwards, Baldi returns to Scotland. Bardens also departs and forms The Shotgun Express. He later moves into session work, records two solo albums for Transatlantic Records and then forms 1970s progressive/rock outfit, Camel. Terry Noon also leaves but will return briefly in mid-October.
Back in Belfast, Morrison and Henderson have formed a new version of Them with lead guitarist Jim Armstrong (b. 24 July 1944, Belfast, N. Ireland) from The Melotones and keyboard/sax, flute player and vibes player Ray Elliott (b. 23 January 1944, Belfast, N. Ireland; d. June 1993, Toronto) from The Broadways. Apparently, original keyboard player Eric Wrixon fills in briefly but soon leaves to rejoin Portadown band, The People before Elliott joins. The new version of Them is completed with new drummer John Wilson (b. 6 November 1947, Belfast, N. Ireland) from The Misfits. The band rehearses at the Martime for two weeks before making its live debut in Lisburn on 24 September (see below). Belfast’s publication Cityweek had reported in its 23 September issue that Morrison rehearsed with Wilson’s band The Misfits as a potential new version of Them for three days before the new line up was agreed.
Photo: Cityweek
(24)Morrison’s new version of Them make their debut at the Top Hat club, Lisburn, Northern Ireland where they perform a 40-minute set. Shortly after a show at the Flamingo in Ballymena, Morrison’s band returns to London and resumes work on its second album. The group’s debut album is released in the US as Them and hits #54.
Photo: Cityweek
(30) Cityweek‘s 30 September issue features an article on the new formation entitled “The return of Them”.
October(11) Morrison’s Them play at the Thorngate, Gosport, Hants.
Photo: Melody Maker
(15)Van Morrison’s Them play at Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London.
Rare French EP showing short-lived line up from October 1965, from left: Billy Harrison, Alan Henderson, Van Morrison, Ray Elliott and Terry Noon
(16) Them are billed to play at Big Daddy’s in Halifax, West Yorkshire with The Blues Set. Around this time, Jim Armstrong is forced to pull out of the band at short notice. Billy Harrison is drafted in to play some UK dates before joining the group for French and (in December) Scandinavian dates (see later).
Photo: Cityweek
(19) Them (with Billy Harrison) appear at the Olympia in Paris, France with Bo Diddley. The gig is reported in Cityweek‘s 21 October issue. John Wilson, who is considered to be too young to travel, is replaced by former member Terry Noon. The group then travels to Scandinavia for more live dates (although this may be later in the year). Back in England later this month, Noon makes way for a returning John Wilson and joins The Yum Yum Band before moving into rock management, working initially with Honeybus.
(21) Belfast publication, Cityweek reports that John Wilson’s former band, reduced to a trio since he left, is moving to London.
(22)Streatham News reports that Them play at the Wimbledon Palais in southwest London. However, it is not clear whether this is the rival Them or Morrison’s group after returning from Paris.
(31) The Eastern Evening News reports that Them appear at the Royal Hotel in Lowestoft, Suffolk with The Easi-beats.
November Early in the month, Skip Alan leaves the Harrison/McAuley Them to replace Viv Prince in The Pretty Things, who soon takes up Skip Alan’s place for a few weeks. Harrison, who has briefly returned to the rival Them after Jim Armstrong resumes his place, departs when Skip Alan lands the job with The Pretty Things. Harrison does session work for producer Joe Meek.
(4)Pat McAuley’s rival Them registers the Them name. By now the group contains a new guitarist, known as Don, who has replaced Billy Harrison.
(25) The Western Gazette advertises the band (but not clear which version) appearing at Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Fortunes and Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages.
December(2) When Viv Prince leaves Pat McAuley’s rival Them, his place is taken by Ken McLeod.
(4) “Mystic Eyes” fares better in the States where it reaches #33. On the same day, Boyfriend magazine notes that Them appear at Leeds College.
Photo: Cityweek
(9) Cityweek reports that Billy Harrison has joined The Pretty Things and is currently touring with that band in Holland. He also plays with The Pretty Things on a Scandinavian tour in early December. At the turn of the year, he also covers for Jim Armstrong in Them for their first Scandinavian shows. Harrison quits the music business in mid-1966 after playing with The Pretty Things in the Isle of Wight during March and joins the GPO. Original Them keyboard player Eric Wrixon meanwhile had joined The Kings showband in late November before re-joining The People, according to Cityweek.
(10) The Gloucester Citizen reports that Them appear at Lydney Town Hall, Lydney, Gloucestershire, which might be a gig by the rival version of Them.
(17) The Southend Standard lists Them appearing at the Cricketers Inn, Westcliff, Southend, Essex with The Orioles.
Photo: Evening Sentinel. Wymer’s final gig with the rival Them
(19) Wymer leaves the rival Them after a gig in Stoke-on-Trent (this is Mr Smith’s in Hanley with The Beatroots). Soon afterwards, he is replaced by Pat’s brother Jackie McAuley on keyboards/vocals, who has been living in Dublin. Pat moves on to drums and Ken McLeod takes over guitar from Don who leaves in mid-January. On the same day, Van Morrison’s Them play at the nearby Majestic Ballroom in Shropshire. Around this time, the group plays in Liverpool and after the show Armstrong collapses with a suspected perforated appendix. He spends Christmas in the emergency ward at Liverpool’s Southern Hospital, according to Cityweek‘s 6 January 1966 issue.
Photo: Cityweek
(23) Cityweek notes that John Wilson left Them last weekend but no replacement has been announced. The article entitled “Them rush-release second album for States” also profiles the forthcoming Them Again LP. Wilson rejoins The Misfits (until April 1967) and then works with Belfast groups, Derek & The Sounds and Cheese. In the late 1960s, he joins guitarist Rory Gallagher in Taste before forming Stud in the early 1970s.
Photo: Cityweek, 6 January 1966
(29) Cityweek‘s 6 January 1966 issue reports that Alan Henderson and Ray Elliott have flown to Stockholm to join the other Them members (Van Morrison and Billy Harrison) for two shows at the weekend of 31-December-2 January. The group is still without a permanent replacement for John Wilson. However, David Harvey (b. David Tufrey 29 July 1943, Bude, Cornwall, England) takes his place on the drums in January after the group use a succession of temporary fill ins.
(31) Boyfriend magazine reports that Them play at the Fender Club in Kenton, northwest London but it’s not clear which version this is. However, it is most likely the Pat McAuley version considering Morrison’s version play in Stockholm this weekend.
1966
January Them’s second album Them Again fails to chart in the UK. It contains two of Morrison’s best songs: “Hey Girl” and “My Lonely Sad Eyes”, as well as an edited version of Bobby Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light”. Original Them member Eric Wrixon leaves The People, who have relocated to Blackpool, and joins another expatriate Belfast band, The Wheels in February, who record two singles for Columbia.
Photo: Cityweek, 6 January 1966
(1) Jackie McAuley makes his debut with the rival Them in Peckham, southeast London. On the same day, Cityweek reports that Them make their first trip to Scandinavia this weekend, even though Armstrong hasn’t fully recovered from his hernia operation in late December. Billy Harrison takes Armstrong’s place.
(3) Van Morrison’s Them appear at the Shoreline club in Bognor Regis, West Sussex with new drummer David Harvey.
(4) Morrison’s Them play at the Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks.
(6)Cityweek reports that Them will return to Paris’ Olympia next week and are also resident in the Club Locomotive for three days.
(10) Them appear at the Labour Hall, Bletchley, Bucks.
(11) Morrison’s latest line up play at the Hut, Westcott, Surrey.
(22) The Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser reports that Them play at the Club Nevada, West Croydon, south London.
(27) Them appear at the Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex. On the same day, Cityweek reports on the legal row over who is Them. Van Morrison’s version are currently on tour in Wales.
(30) The North Herts Herald reports that Them perform at Newbury Plaza Ballroom in Berkshire with The Just Men.
February(4) The McAuley brothers’ Them record three tracks at a demo session: a cover of Graham Bond’s “I Want You”, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” and Jackie McAuley’s “Movin’ Free”.
(11) The Luton News reports that Them appear at Parkside Ampthill, Bedfordshire with The Sneakers but it is not clear which version this is.
(15)The Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser reports that Van Morrison’s Them appear at Club Nevada, West Croydon, south London.
(16)Melody Maker lists the band playing at the Last Chance on Oxford Street, central London.
(18)The rival Them perform at the KB Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark with The Pretty Things.
(19)Van Morrison’s version appears at Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire with The Cryin Shames.
Photo: Melody Maker
(21) According to Melody Maker, The Van Morrison version of Them play at the Club Continental in Eastbourne.
(22)Chris Groom’s book Rockin’ and around Croydon lists Van Morrison’s Them at the Gun Tavern in Croydon, south London.
March Morrison’s version of Them’s cover of producer Tommy Scott’s “Call My Name” fails to chart.
(5) The Malvern Gazette reports that Them perform at the Malvern Winter Gardens in Worcestershire with Lighting Blues but it is not clear which version this is.
Photo: Melody Maker
(7) The McAuley brothers’ Them appear at the Club Continental, Eastbourne.
Photo: Eastbourne Herald Chronicle
(9) The rival Them lose their court case and change name to “Some of Them”.
Photo: Melody Maker
(11) Van Morrison’s version play at Tiles on Oxford Street, central London with Steve Darbyshire and The Yum Yum Band.
Photo: Melody Maker
(28) Van’s version returns to Tiles for another show with The Quiet Five in support.
April Morrison’s Them’s final session produces a cover of Paul Simon’s “Richard Cory” and Morrison’s “Mighty Like A Rose”. “Gloria” is re-issued and climbs to US #71.
(2) The Nelson Leader reports that Them (possibly with Dave Harvey on drums) appear at the Imperial, Nelson, Lancashire with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Sounds Incorporated.
(9) Van Morrison’s version of Them appear at Torquay Town Hall in Devon with The Hunters and The Javelins, according to the Herald Express.
(16) The Shadows Of Knight’s version of “Gloria” hits US #10. On the same day, the Grantham Journal has Them playing at Drill Hall, Grantham, Lincolnshire with The Beathovens and The Nemkons.
From KRLA’s Beat, April 30, 1966. From left to right: Ray Elliott, John Wilson, Jim Armstrong, Van Morrison and Alan Henderson
KRLA’s Beat, April 23, 1966
May Paul Simon’s “Richard Cory” is the group’s last official single but is not a success. Morrison is particularly annoyed by its release, preferring his own song “Mighty Like A Rose” as a prospective single. In the US, Tommy Scott’s “I Can Only Give You Everything” is released as a final single and is quickly adopted by US garage bands like The MC5 as a punk anthem. Them Again reaches US #138.
(2)The Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser reports that Them perform at the Star Hotel in Croydon, south London.
(7) The Luton News reports that Them appear at Harpenden Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts with The Fuzz Bugs but it is not clear which version this is.
(14) Them perform at Decca Entertainment Centre, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.
(21) The Malvern Gazette reports that Them perform at the Malvern Winter Gardens in Worcestershire with Group 66 but it is not clear which version this is. In late May, PACE magazine reports that Van Morrison’s version play at Crayford Town Hall in southeast London. Soon afterwards, Morrison’s version flies out to New York to begin its debut US tour, with the first show in Arizona.
(27) Some of Them record two tracks with Kim Fowley – “Gloria’s Dream” and “Secret Police”. On the same day, Van Morrison’s Them appear at the Rollarena, San Leandro, California.
(30) Some of Them perform in Blackpool, Lancashire. On the same day, Van Morrison’s Them begins a residency at the Whisky-A-Go Go, West Hollywood, California.
May(31) – June (17)Morrison’s Them performs at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, California, where they are sometimes supported by The Doors.
June (3) The rival version of Them performs at the Cricketers Inn, Westcliff, Southend, Essex with the Orioles, according to the Southend Standard.
(13 & 15)Some of Them record further tracks in London.
(18) On the last night at the Whisky, The Doors’ vocalist Jim Morrison joins Van Morrison’s group on stage for a 20-minute improvisation of “Gloria”.
(19)The band discovers that the club has been willing to pay the group $10,000 per week. However, due to their management deal with Phil Solomon (whereby they have agreed to play for $2,000 a week minus a 35% management fee and a guarantee), Them have received considerably less than they think they should. This causes a lot of bitterness between the group and Solomon, and as a result Them inform promoter Bill Graham that they will only play at their forthcoming Fillmore concert if they are paid in advance.
Photo: Cherwell
(21) Some of Them (billed as Them) appear at Balliol College, Oxford University alongside The Kinks, The Fortunes, The Alan Price Set, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, The Caribbean All-Steer Band and Bunny Thompson.
(23) Morrison’s Them appear at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium with The New Tweedy Brothers. After their performance, Morrison meets his future wife Janet Planet who accompanies the band on the rest of the tour. (She will be the inspiration for Morrison’s Astral Weeks.)
KRLA’s Beat, June 25, 1966
(26) Morrison’s group is supported by The Association at the Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, California.
(27-29)Some of Them move to Denmark where they perform as Them. The group performs three shows in Copenhagen and finish their final recordings. Over the next five months, the band gigs in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. In the last week of July, the band is briefly joined by former Them member Peter Bardens on keyboards, allowing Jackie McAuley to come up front as lead singer.
July(1-2) Morrison’s Them perform at the “Beat On The Beach”, Santa Monica, California with The New Generation.
(8-9)Them appear at the Waikiki Shell, Kapiolani Park, Honolulu, Hawaii.
(23) The band performs at the Strand Theater, Modesto, California.
(28) Morrison’s group is supported by The Doors and The Count Five at the Starlight Ballroom, Oxnard and (in the evening) the Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, California.
(29-30) Morrison’s Them is supported by The Sons Of Champlin at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco.
August (9) The McAuley brothers’ Them play at the Complain-LA-Tour jazz festival in Belgium.
(19-21) Morrison’s group performs at the Losers North, San Jose, California.
(23-28) A further set of dates take place at the Losers North.
The Wheels with Eric Wrixon, September 1966
September (1) Belfast publication Cityweek reports that The Wheels are back in the city. The band will split soon after, however. In 1967, Eric Wrixon will move to West Germany with The Never Never Band and plays regularly at Hamburg’s Star club, supporting soul acts like Sam & Dave.
KRLA’s Beat, September 24, 1966
(2-3) Them performs at the Longshoreman’s Hall, San Francisco.
(8) Cityweek reports that Van Morrison, Alan Henderson and Jim Armstrong arrived home from America last week so it’s not clear whether the September US dates took place despite being advertised.
Photo: Cityweek
(9) They are billed to appear in Fresno, California. However, Morrison and Henderson may have already returned to London to sort out business matters with Solomon. Morrison continues to work on some new songs that will later comprise his masterpiece Astral Weeks.
The Belfast Gypsies, released as ThemRare French EP with Belfast Gypsies listed
(17) The McAuley brothers’ group, now dubbed The Belfast Gypsies score a minor US hit when “Gloria’s Dream” hits #124.
(22) Morrison and Henderson are profiled in Cityweek‘s 22 September issue in an article entitled ‘Van and Co. back to “square one”‘.
Photo: Cityweek
(29) Cityweek reports that Ray Elliott flew in to Belfast last week.
October(2) The Weston Mercury reports that Them appear at the Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset. This would have been the McAuley brothers’ version. In Belfast, Morrison soon returns to occasional live work in a new outfit dubbed, Van Morrison and “Them Again”, which features former Castaways and Unit guitarist Eric Bell alongside former Alleykatz members Joe Hanratty (drums) and Mike Brown (bass). Alan Henderson doubles up on second bass.
Photo: Cityweek. Eric Bell (top right)
(13) Cityweek reports that Jim Armstrong has left Them to play with The Federals. Ray Elliott will also briefly join this outfit, according to the paper, a short while later.
Photo: Cityweek
(28) The Belfast Telegraph reports that Van Morrison and Them play (their debut show) at the Square One Discotheque in Belfast with The Blue Angels.
Photo: Cityweek
November(4) Cityweek‘s 3 November issue reports that Them appear at Carrickfergus Town Hall today with The Carpetbaggers and The Fugitives.
Photo: Cityweek
(5) The McAuley brothers’ Them play their final date in Stockholm.
(10) The Belfast Telegraph reports that Van Morrison & Them perform at Sammy Houston’s Jazz Club. When Eric Bell leaves immediately after the Queen’s University rag ball gig, the band implodes. Van Morrison concentrates on a solo career. Bell meanwhile moves to Glasgow and plays with The Bluebeats for two years.
Cityweek profile October 1965
December Armstrong, Elliott, Harvey and Henderson decide to carry on with Them’s name, now that Morrison has abandoned the name and is pursuing a solo career. The group recruits a new vocalist Ken McDowell (b. 21 December 1944, Belfast, N. Ireland), previously a member of Belfast group The Mad Lads, who have recorded a number of singles for Decca Records, as well as a lone release “I Went Out With My Baby” as Moses K. & The Prophets. The new version of Them writes to Carol Deck, Californian editor of Flip magazine (who had given the band some encouraging reviews during its US tour) asking for help, and she in turn introduces them to Texan producer Ray Ruff, who has his own indie label, Ruff Records. The new version of Them moves out to Amarillo, Texas in June 1967.
1967
January Major Minor Records releases “Gloria”, backed by another Morrison song, the acoustic “Friday’s Child” as a UK single. The McAuley brothers’ Them implodes and Jackie McAuley returns to Dublin and forms Cult with singer/songwriter and guitarist Paul Brady.
March A second Major Minor single “The Story Of Them” is released. Morrison signs a solo contract with Bert Berns and travels to New York to record for his Bang label. This will result in an immediate US hit “Brown Eyed Girl”, which makes #10. After Berns’ death in December 1967, Morrison will sign with Warner Brothers and record the classic Astral Weeks, which proves to be the beginning of an illustrious career.
Photo: Cityweek
(4) The Belfast Telegraph reports that Van Morrison is one of the opening acts for The Stormsville Shakers at Queen’s University’s student union in Belfast together with The Interns.
June (30) The US-based Them appear at the Purple Onion Teen Club, Wichita Falls, Texas.
Them in Checkmate Studios, Amarillo, 1967, from left: Ray Elliott, Alan Henderson, Dave Harvey, Ken McDowell and Jim Armstrong. Photo from the collection of Tom McCarty
July (12) According to the Childress Index, Them appears at Fair Park Auditorium, Childress, Texas. The next day they also play a gig in Farmington, New Mexico. The newspaper says they will tour for five months and play 20 times in Texas.
KRLA’s Beat, May 6, 1967The McAuley brother’s group
August Nearly year after the band’s final performance, the McAuley brothers’ group The Belfast Gypsies have a belated album release on the Swedish label Sonet as Them Belfast Gypsies. Having relocated to Amarillo, Texas, Henderson’s Them release their debut single without Morrison, a cover of Tom Lane’s “Dirty Old Man (At The Age Of Sixteen)” / “Square Room” on Sully Records before a nation-wide distribution deal is struck with Tower Records.
(10) The Evening Sentinel reports that Eric Wrixon’s latest group, The Never Never Band appear at the Golden Torch in Tunstall, Staffordshire.
Above and below, first record by the Amarillo, Texas based Them
September Starting off in Amarillo, Henderson’s group kicks off a major tour. The gruelling 61-date tour takes the musicians across the US Midwest and then to Los Angeles, where Them begin work on its first album without Morrison. Santa Rosa, California-based newspaper, the Press Democrat notes in its 1 January 1968 issue that the LP is recorded in studios in Texas, Oklahoma and Hollywood, California.
November Henderson’s Them release a second 45, the band composition “Walking In The Queens Garden” b/w “I Happen to Love You” on Ruff Records.
December Tower issues two singles, one includes newly recorded versions of “Dirty Old Man (At The Age Of Sixteen)” and “Square Room” and the second reissues the Ruff 45.
(8-10) The band appears at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, California with Love and Blue Cheer. Santa Rosa paper the Press Democrat, says they play at the Vets Building in Santa Rosa, California over the Christmas weekend.
Poster from Amarillo, 1967, from left: Jim Armstrong, Dave Harvey, Ken McDowell, Ray Elliott and Alan Henderson. Poster from the collection of Tom McCarty
1968
January A new album, Now And Them is released featuring Them’s reply to the Doors’ “The End”, the extended raga piece “Square Room”.
February Tower reissues the Ruff 45 of “Walking In The Queens Gardens” but its success is limited to the West Coast.
March (24) The Hamilton Spectator’s 22 March issue, page 30, notes Them are playing in Toronto and will appear at Carl’s in Hamilton, Ontario on this date with David Clayton-Thomas and Combine. The group’s incessant touring prompts Elliott to quit the band while Them are in New York. He returns to Belfast briefly before working with an Irish showband in Leeds alongside guitarist Eric Bell from “Them Again”. Bell soon returns to Belfast to replace guitarist Gary Moore in The Shades of Blue before working with the Dublin-based The Dream showband.
April “But It’s Alright”, an out-take from the album is released as a single but doesn’t sell.
(11) According to the Odessa American newspaper, Them plays at Ector County Coliseum, Odessa, Texas.
May(24-25) Henderson’s Them appear alongside The Incredible String Band at the Kaleidoscope, Hollywood, California.
July The title track from their forthcoming album Time Out For Time In is released but is not a success.
August(14-15) The band plays with Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention at the Electric Theatre, Chicago. Them also performs at the Baton Rouge Festival on a bill that features Freddie King.
November Them’s second album Time Out Time In For Them is released. It has been recorded at Los Angeles’ Gold Star studios in the wake of Elliott’s departure and features session drummer John Guerin on a number of tracks. A single “Waltz Of The Flies” is extracted but fails to chart.
1969
March Them’s final single, a cover of the traditional Corinna is released but fails to chart. Unhappy with Ruff’s management and production, Armstrong and McDowell leave and return to Belfast where they put together Sk’Boo with Ricky McCutcheon and Colm Connolly. Henderson, meanwhile, remains with Ruff in L.A. and continues with the Them name; using guitarist Jim Parker and drummer John Stark from Amarillo band, The Kitchen Cinq, he produces two further albums: Them (1969) and In Reality (1970) for the Chicago label Happy Tiger. David Harvey also stays behind in California but will leave the music business.
June After working briskly throughout Ireland and the British mainland, Armstrong and McDowell shelve Sk’Boo (after a farewell gig in Wolverhampton) and return to the US later that year. Based in Chicago, the duo recruit an American rhythm section comprising bassist Curt Bachman (ex-The Buckinghams) and drummer Reno Smith formerly of Baby Huey and The Babysitters in a new group called Truth, which becomes house band at Beavers. The Chicago Tribune‘s 2 November 1969 issue runs a spread on the newly formed group. The band tours extensively around the Chicago area for the next 18 months, and also contributes several songs to the soundtrack for Pat Mulcahy’s film Cum Laude Fraud (later released as College For Fun And Profit), before being offered a recording deal with Epic Records. Ex-Them member Ray Elliott rejoins the band during its lifespan but subsequently leaves after contributing to some recordings and returns to England.
July(26) Them and Truth* both appear at the Eugene Pop Festival, Hayward Field, University of Oregon, Eugene alongside Alice Cooper, The Doors and others.
* Neal Skok and I have been trying to find out for some time now what “Them” this was — there is a slim chance it was the Tower Records ensemble. But the “Truth” that is listed for this gig is most definitely not the Chicago-based Truth comprised of the ex-Them gents (whose CD Neal and I put out on his “Epilogue” label in ’94). This “Truth” was a NW teen rock band – and of course there were several Christian bands that used that name in the ’60s and later. – John Berg
October Having returned from Germany and joined The Trixons showband, original Them member Eric Wrixon joins guitarist Eric Bell from the short-lived “Them Again” in the original Thin Lizzy. He leaves in early 1970 and returns to Germany to play with Junior Walker, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy among others.
1970
January (21) Truth play at the New Cellar, Chicago alongside The Mauds.
March Having moved to Beirut in Lebanon with The League of Gentlemen the previous year, former Them member Jackie McAuley returns to England and forms Trader Horne with Judy Dyble, who has previously worked with the original Fairport Convention. The duo release the album, Morning Way, which features contributions from former Them member Ray Elliott. When Trader Horne split later in the year, McAuley forms the short-lived One with Rosko Gee and Adam Marsh before starting on a solo album.
Japanese sleeve with Alan Henderson’s Them
1971
February Truth return to Belfast for a working holiday before sessions in London begin later that month. Unfortunately, Epic Records undergoes a change in management and following a communication problem, Truth’s band members fall apart before they have a chance to enter the studio. Elliott subsequently moves to Canada (where he dies in June 1993 in Toronto), while Bachman and Smith return to the US. Armstrong and McDowell move back to Belfast where Armstrong joins the Civil Service and McDowell becomes a member of The College Boys. (Truth’s private recordings and studio sessions from Chicago are later released by Epilogue Records as The Truth Of Them And Other Tales in 1995.)
March Jackie McAuley releases his eponymous debut solo album on the small Dawn label, before later working with bands Wand and Mackeral Sky. He also spends four years working with Lonnie Donegan. Jackie’s brother Pat (who turns down an offer to play with Marc Bolan), sadly dies in a drowning accident in Donegal on 11 August 1984.
1972
August Compilation album Them Featuring Van Morrison hits US #154.
1973
After working with cabaret singer Roly Stewart, Jim Armstrong has rejoined Ken McDowell in The College Boys in the early 1970s. The pair then join Reunion before working with another former Them member John Wilson in Bronco. The pair also form the band Spike, which works at the Pound club in Belfast. Wilson subsequently becomes Northern Ireland’s top session drummer.
Deram double LP repackages their first two U.S. LPs minus two tracks each.
1974 Backtrackin’ released only in the U.S., featured obscure b-sides and songs not previously available in the U.S.: “Richard Cory”, “I Put a Spell on You”, “Just a Little Bit”, “I Gave My Love a Diamond”, “Half as Much”, “Baby Please Don’t Go”, “Hey Girl”, “Don’t Start Crying Now”, “All for Myself” and “Mighty Like a Rose”. All the tracks except the last, however, were in simulated stereo.
1978
Armstrong leaves Spike and forms his own band Light, who record an eponymous album on the small Mint label in Ireland only.
1979
Billy Harrison reforms Them with original keyboard player Eric Wrixon. Initially, Harrison intended to complete the group with John Wilson, who’d played drums on Them Again album, together with bass player Jackie Flavelle and singer Mel Austin but Wilson and Flavelle drop out prompting him to bring in drummer Billy Bell. He also brings back Henderson, who has spent several years working on his Connecticut farm. Them move to Germany where they hold down a residency in Hamburg. While there the group records the album Shut Your Mouth for Teldec/Decca before Jim Armstrong and Brian Scott from Light replace Harrison and Wrixon. However, after a brief tour of Germany the group splinters. Armstrong reunites with Ken McDowell in a new version of Sk’Boo, who release one single “It’s A Hard Road” for the small Cuecomber label.
From left: Joe Baldi, Terry Noon, Peter Bardens, Van Morrison and Alan Henderson from summer of 1965
1980
Harrison emerges with the solo album Billy Who? on the German Vagabond label. He then abandons a music career and become a marine electrician. Jackie McAuley spends most of the 1980s and 1990s working with Poor Mouth, who release a number of albums, including Gael Force. In 1982, he co-writes “Dear John”, which is a hit for Status Quo.
1989
Original member Eric Wrixon forms The Belfast Blues Band with another former Them member, John Wilson.
1994
Jackie McAuley emerges with a new solo album, Headspin. Guitarist Jim Armstrong meanwhile has formed The Belfast Blues Band with original Them member Eric Wrixon. His former band mate, Ken McDowell has continued to work with Sk’Boo and then plays with Hens Teeth before forming The Kenny McDowell/Ronnie Greer Band in the early 2000s.
1998
Jackie McAuley releases another solo release, Shadowboxing.
2000
Jackie McAuley puts out another solo release, Bad Day At Black Rock. McAuley subsequently joins The Harbour Band, who release the album Live In The Spirit Tour in 2003.
2003
The Ken McDowell/Ronnie Greer Band release the album, Live At The Island. Jim Armstrong leaves The Belfast Blues Band and reforms The Jim Armstrong Band.
Sources:
Clayson, Alan. Call Up The Groups – The Golden Age Of British Beat,
Blandford Press, 1985, pages 168-170.
Doggett, Peter. “Them”, Record Collector # 149, January 1992, pages 112-116
Du Noyer, Paul. “Heart & Soul Of Van Morrison”, Mojo Magazine, November 1993, page 84.
Gray, Michael. Mother – The Frank Zappa Story, Plexus, 1993.
Grushkin, Paul D. Art Of Rock – Posters From Presley To Punk, Artabras, Cross River Press Ltd, 1987.
Harper, Colin. Sleeve notes to CD Belfast Beat, 1998.
Harper, Colin and Hodgett, Trevor. Irish Folk, Trad & Blues – A Secret History, Cherry Red Books, 2004.
Hodgett, Trevor. “Them After Van Morrison”, Record Collector #89, pages 52-57.
Hogg, Brian. “Van Morrison & Them”, Strange Things Are Happening, Vol 1, #4, Sep/Oct 1988, Bam-Caruso Books, pages 6-14 and 20.
Housden, David Peter. The Castle, Love #9, December 1995, page 28 and 57.
Housden, David Peter. The Castle, Love #10, 1996, pages 6-7.
Rees, Dafydd and Crampton, Luke. Guinness Book Of Rock Stars, 2nd Edition, Guinness Publishing, 1991, page 528.
Rogan, Johnny. CSN&Y – The Visual Documentary, Omnibus Press, 1996, page 10.
Shaw, Greg. The Doors On The Road, Omnibus Press, 1997, pages 14 and 172.
Turner, Steve. Van Morrison – Too Late To Stop Now, Bloomsbury, 1993, pages 49 and 60.
Unterberger, Richie. “Belfast Gypsies” article in Ugly Things issue 23.
Whitburn, Joel. Bubbling Under Hot 100 1959-1985, Billboard Researchers Inc, 1985.
Sleeve notes to the Deram Anthology The Story Of Them – Featuring Van Morrison, 1997.
Sleeve notes to Epilogue CD, The Truth Of Them And Other Tales, 1995.
Denny Laine (guitar, vocals) Michael Pinder (keyboards, vocals) Ray Thomas (harmonica, saxophone, flute, vocals) Clint Warwick (bass, vocals) Graeme Edge (drums)
1964
April The nucleus of the band is formed by Laine (b. Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944, Tyseley, Birmingham, W. Midlands, UK), who has just disbanded his group Denny And The Diplomats, with Thomas (b. 29 December 1942, Stourport-on-Severn, Hereford & Worcs, UK.) and Pinder (b. 27 December 1941, Birmingham, W. Midlands, UK), who have both been playing in local outfits El Riot & The Rebels and The Krewcats, and have just returned from a year’s residence at Hamburg’s Top Ten club.
May (4) Rehearsals begin with the addition of drummer Edge (b. 30 March 1942, Rochester, Staffs, UK), who has previously been a member of Gerry Levene & The Avengers and bass player Clint Warwick (b. Albert Eccles, 25 June 1940, Birmingham, W. Midlands, UK), formerly a member of The Rainbows. The group quickly gains a residency at the Carlton Ballroom in Erdington, West Midlands, initially billed as The M&B Five, apparently in the hope of gaining sponsorship from local brewers Mitchell and Butler. Laine, who has pushed the band’s sound towards the blues and jazz of London based groups, decides soon afterwards to re-name the band after a Slim Harpo song titled “Moody Blue” and The M&B Five becomes The Moody Blues Five.
August The band attracts the attention of London manager Tony Secunda, who secures The Moody Blues (as they now call themselves), a residency at London’s Marquee club on Monday nights, where they replace Manfred Mann. Through their prestigious “live” work at the club, the band quickly attracts the attention of Decca Records which signs the group. Shortly afterwards The Moody Blues record their debut single, the Pinder-Laine composition “Lose Your Money” which the band performs on ITV’s Ready Steady Go!.
September (3) The group plays its first show at the Marquee in London.
(11) The Moody Blues appear at Birmingham’s Town Hall alongside The Spencer Davis Group and headliners Alexis Korner Incorporated.
Photo: Woking Herald
(14) The Moody Blues open the Moonlighter Club, held at Weybridge Hall in Weybridge, Surrey.
(28) The band returns for another show at the Moonlighter Club, Weybridge Hall in Weybridge, Surrey.
October (4) The band plays at the Marquee in London.
(30) The Moody Blues appear at the Crawdaddy club in Richmond, Surrey.
November After “Lose Your Money” fails to chart, the group records a cover of Bessie Banks’s US R&B hit, “Go Now”, which has been given to the band by New York disc-jockey B. Mitchell Reed during a visit to the UK.
(2) The Moody Blues perform again at the Moonlighter Club, held at Weybridge Hall in Weybridge, Surrey.
December (7) The group appears at the Marquee in London.
1965
January (8) The group begins a 24-date, twice-nightly tour with Chuck Berry at the Odeon Theatre, London, which will end 31 January at the Regal Theatre, Edmonton, London.
(28) “Go Now”, produced by Alex Murray, tops the UK chart.
February The band quickly releases “I Don’t Want To Go On Without You”, a revival of a Drifters’ b-side as a follow up single, but it only reaches UK #33. Part of the single’s failure can be attributed to the simultaneous release of identical covers by The Searchers and The Escorts. (The group is unhappy with the recording because Thomas’s flute solo has been inexplicably erased from the final pressing.)
March (8) The Moody Blues make their first live broadcast on BBC Radio’s Joe Loss Pop Show.
April “Go Now” holds down anchor position in a unique US Top 10 in which 9 of the singles are from the UK.
(11) The group takes part in the annual New Musical Express poll winners concert at the Empire Pool, London, with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Animals among others.
May The band releases an EP, which features both sides of the group’s debut single plus the a-sides of the previous two releases.
(24) The Moody Blues take part in the British Song Festival at the Dome, Brighton, East Sussex.
June (5) The band guests on ITV’s Thank Your Lucky Stars, where it introduces its new single, the Pinder-Laine collaboration “From The Bottom Of My Heart”.
(15) The Moody Blues join The Rolling Stones for a 4-date tour of Scotland alongside The Hollies, The Cannon Brothers and The Checkmates. The tour begins at the Odean Theatre, Glasgow.
(16) The group performs at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh.
(17) The Moody Blues appear at the Caird Hall, Dundee.
(18) The final date takes place at the Capitol Theatre, Aberdeen. (While the Stones prepare for a short tour of Scandinavia, The Moody Blues return to London in order to fly to New York for their debut US appearance.)
(19) The group makes its US debut with The Kinks at the Academy of Music in New York.
July “From The Bottom Of My Heart” is released and climbs to UK #22 and US #93. The Moody Blues’ debut album Magnificent Moodies, which has been produced by Denny Cordell is released to coincide with the single but fails to chart. In the US the album is released as Go Now and features a different track listing.
(24) The band performs at the Birdcage in Portsmouth, Hants.
August (1) The Moody Blues perform at the London Palladium with The Rolling Stones, The Fourmost, Steampacket and others.
(6) The group plays on the opening day of the fifth annual National Jazz & Blues Festival at the Richmond Athletic Ground, Richmond, Surrey.
(29) The Moody Blues play at the Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex.
September (6) The band signs a management contract with NEMS.
(21) The Moody Blues participate in Pop From Britain concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and The Fourmost.
(25) The group appears at the Birdcage in Portsmouth, Hants with St Louis Checks.
(30) The Moody Blues replace Unit 4 Plus 2 for 3 dates on The Rolling Stones UK tour. The first date takes place at the Gaumont Theatre, Hanley, Staffs. Also on the tour are The Spencer Davis Group, The End and The Habits.
October (1) The band appears at the ABC Theatre, Chester, Cheshire.
(2) The group’s final appearance takes place at the ABC Theatre, Wigan, Lancashire. Unit 4 Plus 2 return to the tour immediately afterwards.
November The Laine-Pinder composition “Everyday” only reaches UK #44, despite becoming a turntable hit on pirate radio.
December (3) The group supports The Beatles on their final UK tour, a 9-date twice-nightly package, which opens at Glasgow’s Odeon cinema and ends on December 12 at the Capitol Cinema, Cardiff, Wales.
(19) The Moody Blues appear on CBS TV’s Ed Sullivan Show.
1966
March (8) The group appears at the Montreux Golden Rose TV festival.
April Another Laine-Pinder track “Stop!” is lifted from the UK album and released as a US single, where it spends a week on the Hot 100 at #98. (The song incidentally, is later covered by singer Julie Grant but is not a success). Secunda leaves at this point to work with The Move and is replaced by The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein. However, he fails to lift the group’s flagging career and as a result The Moody Blues are forced to “drastically reduce their engagement fees.”
(2) The Moody Blues appear at the Club Continental, Eastbourne, East Sussex.
May (1) The band performs at the Oasis in Manchester.
(28) The Moody Blues appear at Hertford Ball, Hertford College, Oxford University with Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen, Alexis Korner, Scott, Gould & Wood, Clem and John.
(30) The group plays at the Pavilion in Bath, Avon.
June (4)Melody Maker announces that the group has undertaken a short tour of Belgium, including a TV appearance from the Casino at Knokke. The magazine also reports that the band is due to appear at the Paris Olympia on 12 June.
(15) The Moody Blues perform at the Bromel club, the Bromley Court Hotel, Kent.
(24) The group plays at the Ram Jam club in Brixton in south London. Warwick, who is disillusioned by the band’s drop in fortunes, leaves the group and quits the music business.
(29) The Moody Blues appear at the Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts.
The Moody Blues with Rod Clark (far right)
July (9) Pinder and Laine’s “This Is My House (But Nobody Calls)” (the intended b-side of the band’s forthcoming UK single) is issued in the US hitting #119.
(14) After Klaus Voorman decides not to join, Rod Clark, a bass player from Great Yarmouth, who has played with Les Garcons takes Warwick’s place, although Pinder and Thomas’s former El Riot & The Rebels cohort John Lodge (b. 20 July 1943, Birmingham, W. Midlands, UK) is rumoured to have been offered the original slot. Clark debuts at the Villa Marina in Coventry.
(30) The group appears at the Riverside Dance Club in Douglas, the Isle of Man.
August (6) The Moody Blues begin a 9-day tour of Denmark.
(20) The group appears at Town Hall, Clacton, Essex with Dave & The Strollers.
September (3) The band appears at the Black Prince in Tenbury Wells.
(10)Melody Maker reports that The Moody Blues fly to Holland for a TV show and then the next day perform in Brussels.
(15) The band plays at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Holland.
(16) The Moody Blues perform at Midnight City in Birmingham with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers.
(23) The group appears at Cardiff Capitol Theatre on a bill that includes Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, The Scaffold and The Fourmost.
(28) The Moody Blues appear at the Flamingo in London in what is probably Denny Laine’s final show.
October Rod Clark leaves to join The Rockin’ Berries and John Lodge joins. Lodge, who has remained in higher education since the band’s split in February 1963, has subsequently played in local bands The Carpetbaggers and The John Bull Breed. Laine, meanwhile, anticipating Brian Wilson’s role in The Beach Boys decides to concentrate on writing and studio work.
Justin Hayward, Swindon Advertiser, September 1966
(8)Record Mirror reports that Laine has officially left The Moody Blues. He will quickly emerge with an amplified backing group The Electric String Band – a predecessor and major influence on The Electric Light Orchestra.
(12) Decca releases the group’s first single in over a year, the French-flavoured “Boulevard De La Madelaine”, written by Pinder and Laine but it isn’t a hit. On the same day, Melody Maker reports that the band appears at the Flamingo in London. To fill Laine’s position in the band, the group turns to Justin Hayward (b. David Justin Hayward, 14 October 1946, Swindon, Wilts, UK), who has played in a number of Swindon bands – The Riversiders, The Rebels, The Whispers, The Shots and All Things Bright before joining Marty Wilde’s Wildcats for two days. He then joins Marty Wilde and his wife in The Marty Wilde Three, who record the singles “Since You’ve Gone” and “I Cried” for Decca Records and on 8 April 1966 plays alongside Wilde at a charity show at the London Palladium. Hayward leaves to sign a solo deal with Pye A&R chief Alan Freeman and manager Lonnie Donegan. This results in a one-off single “London Is Behind Me”, before Hayward signs to Parlophone, which releases a second single “I Can’t Face The World Without You”. When both singles fail, Hayward writes to Eric Burdon to inquire about a position in his New Animals. Burdon, with his band already signed-up, passes Hayward’s name onto Mike Pinder. The Moody Blues move to Belgium in November to perform some gigs and to avoid the UK taxman. The band continues to perform its old R&B repertoire despite Laine’s departure and the recent changes in the UK “music scene”.
Possibly Justin Hayward and John Lodge’s debut show, 21 October 1966
December The group performs in France, where it’s still very popular.
1967
January (14) Decca releases another Pinder-Laine collaboration “Life’s Not Life”, which is withdrawn shortly afterwards.
February (18) The group appears at the Plaza Ballroom in Handsworth, West Midlands with The Traction and The Attack.
March (7) The Moody Blues play at Birmingham’s Ringway Club.
(20) The band appears at the Broadway Club, Dudley Zoo.
(22) The Moody Blues play at Middle Earth in London.
(27) The band plays two shows in the West Midlands. The first is at the Mackadown, Kitts Green with The Monopoly. The second is at the Belfry, Wishaw with The Gods and Exception.
(30) The group drops the old repertoire (and suits) in favour of a new musical style. The band records Hayward’s “Fly Me High” and Pinder’s “Really Haven’t Got The Time” with new producer Tony Clarke as a prospective single.
April The band signs up (along with The Supremes and Ray Charles) to promote Coca-Cola in the teen market. The company’s $10 million campaign requires each artist to record a radio jingle in their own style but featuring the slogan Things Go Better With Coke. The band embarks on a gruelling tour of the Northern club circuit, including a spot at Newcastle’s Cavendish club.
(2) The Moody Blues play at the Cosmo in Carlisle, Cumbria with The Fix.
(14) Denny Laine releases his debut single with The Electric String Band “Say You Don’t Mind” which fails to chart; although ex-Zombies singer Colin Blunstone will later score a top 20 hit with it in 1972.
May (5) The Moody Blues release their first single with the new line-up, “Fly Me High” which is not a success despite being a popular radio hit. The band embarks on a brief tour of Scandinavia.
(19) The band shares a double bill with former group leader Denny Laine at London club, Tiles.
(27) Plans are unveiled for the group to appear on a US colour TV special as “Fly Me High” is given an American release.
June (10) They play the Fete and Donkey Derby in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands with The Ugly’s and The Bobcats.
(12) The Moody Blues appear at Christ College, Cambridge with The Who and The Herd.
(22) The band appears at Middle Earth with Pink Floyd.
(29) The group records Hayward’s “Leave This Man Alone”.
July (9) The band plays at the Roundhouse with Pink Floyd and The Outer Limits.
(17) The Moody Blues record Pinder’s ambitious “Love & Beauty”, which is the first track to feature the band’s characteristic symphonic sound, created with the use of the mellotron. Shortly afterwards the band introduces its new style at the Glastonbury Festival and is an immediate success.
(28) The Moody Blues appear at the Clay Pigeon in Eastcote, northwest London.
(29) The group performs at the London club, the Upper Cut with The Maze.
August The Moody Blues embark on a “summer” tour of France. The group appears at the Midem Music Festival in Cannes performing most of the songs that will subsequently appear on its forthcoming album.
September (7) The group opens for The Pink Floyd at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London.
(13) The band appears at the Catacombe in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
(22) The Moody Blues release Pinder’s “Love & Beauty” as a single, but it isn’t a hit.
October (8) Signed to Decca’s new progressive label, Deram, the band begins work on its first album in over two years, recording Hayward’s epic “Nights In White Satin”. The group were originally invited to record a stereo version of Dvorak’s New World Symphony with classical backing from The London Festival Orchestra, conducted by Peter Knight, but is allowed to record its stage show, loosely based around a day in the life of a fictional character, instead.
1968
January Extracted from the album, Hayward’s “Nights In White Satin” climbs to UK #19 as parent album reaches #27.
(12) Laine meanwhile, disbands The Electric String Band after his second solo single “Too Much In Love” and moves to Spain to study flamenco guitar.
(19) The Moody Blues play at the Punch Bowl, Lapworth, West Midlands.
(20) The group travels to France to appear at the Midem Music Festival in Cannes, later that week.
February (3) The Moody Blues begin a UK tour at the Nelson Imperial, Lancashire. The tour will conclude at Reading University on March 15.
(10) In the US “Nights In White Satin” only reaches #103.
March (13) The group appears at Birmingham Town Hall with The Spencer Davis Group, Manfred Mann, Don Partridge and Piccadilly Line.
(22) The Moody Blues perform at Middle Earth, Covent Garden, London.
May (4)Days Of Future Past enters the US chart at #3 and earns the group its first gold disk, during a chart run of 102 weeks.
June Hayward’s “Voices In The Sky” is lifted from the band’s forthcoming album and reaches UK #27.
(29) The Moody Blues make a rare concert appearance at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.
The Moody Blues appear near Canterbury on 1 August 1968
August The group’s third album, In Search Of The Lost Chord, another concept album, climbs to UK #5. (The band is performing in the former Czechoslovakia at the time and when the Russian army moves in are quickly asked to leave the country by the British Consulate.)
September Hayward’s “Tuesday Afternoon” is taken from Days Of Future Past and belatedly released as a US single, where it hits #24. In Search Of A Lost Chord, rises to US #23 and earns a second gold disk.
October (4) The Moody Blues play at the Corn Exchange, Braintree, Essex.
(11) The group records non-album track “A Simple Game”, written by Mike Pinder.
(21-24) The band is supported by Chicago at the Fillmore West, San Francisco.
(25-26) The group flies to New York City to appear at the Fillmore East with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Rhinoceros.
November (1) Having supported Cream during their final US tour, the group appears at Madison Square Gardens, New York, for Cream’s final US date. “Ride My See Saw”, written by Lodge, is extracted from the new album and makes US #61.
December “Ride My See Saw” hits UK #42. The single’s b-side “A Simple Game” is later a UK #3 for The Four Tops with Clarke producing. (The Four Tops will also cover another Mike Pinder song, “So Deep Within You” from The Moody Blues’ next album). The band performs its last US dates in Vancouver, Canada.
1969
March (11) The group appears at the Grand Gala Du Disque, Amsterdam, Holland on a bill including Gladys Knight & The Pips.
April Hayward’s “Never Comes The Day” is released as a single but fails to chart.
MayOn The Threshold Of A Dream tops the UK chart for 2 weeks and climbs to US #20 during a 136-week chart run, the Moody Blues’ third gold disk.
(2) The band appears at Bridge Place Country Club, at Bridge near Canterbury, Kent.
July “Never Comes The Day” reaches US #91. Denny Laine meanwhile returns from Spain and joins ex-Move member Trevor Burton in Balls.
August (1) The band appears at Bridge Place Country Club, at Bridge near Canterbury, Kent.
(30) The Moody Blues play on the opening day of the Isle Of Wight Festival.
October Hayward and Thomas’s “Watching And Waiting” is the first single to be released on the group’s own Threshold label.
December The Moody Blues’ new album To Our Children’s Children’s Children hits UK #2 as the band moves to Cobham, Surrey to open the first Threshold record store.
(12) The band performs at the Royal Albert Hall, London, during a UK tour. The concert is recorded (and released as part of Caught Live Plus 5 in June 1977).
1970
January The group’s new album is released in the US and makes #14 becoming the band’s fourth gold disk
March (20-21) The band is supported by Argent and Lee Michaels at New York’s Fillmore East.
April (2/11)The Moody Blues are supported by Richie Havens at the Berkeley Community Theatre, California.
May Hayward’s dramatic “Question” hits UK #2, held from the top by the England World Cup Squad’s “Back Home”. Laine, who has recently joined Ginger Baker’s Airforce sings lead vocal on their cover of Bob Dylan’s “Man Of Constant Sorrow” which hits US #85 on 30 May.
June “Question” reaches US #21.
August The Moody Blues’ new album A Question Of Balance, written and recorded in 5 weeks, hits UK #1 for 3 weeks. (30) The group plays on the final day of the second Isle Of Wight Festival.
SeptemberA Question Of Balance makes US #3 and earns the band its fifth gold disk.
October (30) The band performs at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
December (3) The Moody Blues embark on a US tour making their Carnegie Hall, New York debut on 14 December.
1971
August Laine joins Paul McCartney’s Wings.
1974
February After two further albums, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971) and Seventh Sojourn (1972), which both earn a gold disk, and a 9-month world tour, The Moody Blues decide to split for the time being to concentrate on solo projects. (Hayward’s solo career will be the most enduring and successful).
1978
June The band re-unites for a new album, Octave which hits UK #6 and US #13, and becomes the Moody Blues’ first platinum disk. However, during the recording of the album, producer Tony Clarke leaves followed soon afterwards by Mike Pinder; both have been closely identified with the development of the band’s symphonic sound. Pinder is replaced by ex-Refugee member Patrick Moraz, who remains with The Moody Blues into the 1980s, and helps them to become one of the top selling bands of the decade. Pinder meanwhile, remains in the US and emerges in 1995 with second solo effort Among The Stars.
Sources:
Portsmouth’s Birdcage dates by Dave Allen.
Time Machine, August 1965, by Johnny Black, Mojo Magazine, August 1995.
Call Up The Groups – The Golden Age Of British Beat (1962-1967), by Alan Clayson, Blandford Press, 1985.
Denny Laine, by Alan Clayson, Record Collector, #191, July 1995.
Time Machine, October 1966, by Fred Dellar, Mojo Magazine October 1996.
Collectable 45s of the Swinging ‘60s, by Pete Dickerson and Mike Gordon, The Vintage Record Centre, 1984.
Art Of Rock – Posters From Presley To Punk, by Paul D Grushkin, Artabras, Cross River Press Ltd, 1987.
The Castle – Love #2, by David Peter Housden, 1993.
The Castle – Love #9, by David Peter Housden, 1995.
The Moody Blues UK Singles & UK Albums, by Tim Joseph, Record Collector, #81 & 82, April & May 1986.
Karnbach, James and Bernson, Carol. The Complete Recording Guide To The Rolling Stones. Aurum Press, 1997, pages 111, 112 and 115. Pink Floyd In The Flesh book, page 43.
The Moody Blues, by John Reed, Record Collector, November 1996, #207, pages 64-71.
Book Of Rock Stars, 2nd Edition, by Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, Guinness Publishing Ltd, 1991.
Sleeve notes to album This Is The Moody Blues, by John Tracy, 1989.
Joel Whitburn’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 1959-1985, by Joel Whitburn, Billboard Record Research Inc, 1985.
Joel Whitburn’s Pop Annual 1955-1994, by Joel Whitburn, Billboard Record Research Inc, 1995.
Birmingham Evening Mail 1967-1968. Disc, May 27, 1967, page 4. Melody Maker, March 5, 1966, pages 5; April 2, 1966, page 13; June 4, 1966, page 5; June 11, 1966, page 13; June 25, 1966, page 13; May 20, 1967, page 5; July 29, 1967, page 12; January 6, 1968, page 3 and March 23, 1968, page 14. NME, week ending January 20, 1968.
The Rovin’ Flames at “Safety Village” theme park, 1966
Revised November 2009
The Rovin’ Flames were a major group out of Tampa, Florida. They went through many lineup changes, and it’s only thanks to Dorothy Chapman, the former Secretary and later Vice President of the Rovin’ Flames Fan Club that I can give a detailed listing of lineup changes.
Original lineup, 1965 – spring or summer of 1966:
Paul Battle – rhythm guitar, vocals Jimmy “Mouse” Morris – lead guitar J. R. Maietta – bass Jerry Goff – drums
I don’t know how the band started, but at least some of the Rovin’ Flames were students at Chamberlain High. The Rovin’ Flames first record was “Gloria” / “J.J.J.P.” cut in September 1965 on the Fuller label owned by Charles Fuller who also ran the Boss and CFP (Charles Fuller Productions) labels. This 45 was produced by John Brumage, whose name crops up repeatedly on Rovin’ Flames records, usually as producer.
The group uses the guitar line to “Shakin’ All Over” to open “Gloria”. The singer’s voice on “all I have to do is call her on the phone, and … she’ll be … huggin’ me and kissin’ me” doesn’t make him sound like much of a lady killer – this Gloria might be too much to handle! Mop Top Mike pointed out that this was one of the earliest covers of the Them song, released about six months before the Shadows of Knight had a major national hit with their version.
“J.J.J.P.” is the band’s original, an instrumental take on the Louie Louie bass line and changes. Paul Battle handled the vocals for “Gloria”.
Early lineup with original band plus Hardy Dial
Spring or summer, 1966:
Hardy Dial – lead vocals Paul Battle – rhythm guitar, vocals Jim Morris – lead guitar J. R. Maietta – bass Jerry Goff – drums
Forvus (Brooke Chamberlain) with the Rovin’ Flames
Hardy Dial came from the Outsiders, another Tampa group that cut two great 45s for the Knight label, including “She’s Coming On Stronger”. Dial left the Outsiders before their second 45, a ripping take on “Summertime Blues” sung by John Delise. Interestingly, Delise would be behind the microphone with the Rovin’ Flames as well, but not until their last 45 in 1967.
The Rovin’ Flames second record was the demented “I Can’t”, written by producer John Brumage and released on the Boss label in February or March of ’66. The short verse is followed by six bars where Dial (or is it Paul Battle?) simply chants “I Can’t” or sometimes just wails. After a short guitar solo it’s right back to more of the chant, a repetition of the verse and then a fadeout to those maniacal words.
For the flip they do the entirely more sedate “I’m Afraid to Go Home”, a cover of a Brian Hyland song. Despite the catchy rhythm of the guitar and bass this song drags, with rhymes of “what I’ll see” and “Tennessee”.
Next they provided the rhythm tracks for Brooke Chamberlain, a DJ who fancied himself a songwriter and singer. “Now That Summer Is Here” is nearly a parody of beach pop music, with lyrics like “‘watermelon so good” and a chant of “summertime, summertime” in the middle of the tune. Brooke tries holding the last word of each line, but he’s no Beach Boy. Interestingly there’s phasing on the backing tracks, I wonder if that was intentional or caused by some mishandling the tape.
Brooke’s taking himself even less seriously on the flip, “It’s Nothing New”. The awkward artist credits on the labels are another clue to the tongue-in-cheek nature of this 45, with “Now That Summer Is Here” billed to “The Forvus featuring Brooke Chamberlain with the Rovin’ Flames'”, while “It’s Nothing New”, is credited to “Brooke Chamberlain with the Forvus and the Rovin’ Flames and Harvey Swadnungle”. Chamberlain’s alias in BMI’s database is Frank Edmondson Jr.
Jeff Lemlich wrote to me “I think Tampa Bay was Brooke Chamberlain’s label. He was a disc jockey on WALT Radio in Tampa, and as such had a lot of influence. So when he wanted to cut a record, bands like the Rovin’ Flames and Four Letter Words obliged.”
Rovin’ Flames opening for the Dave Clark Five, July 1966
The Rovin’ Flames work with Chamberlain had some benefit to the band, as he contributed lyrics for a good ballad, “Seven Million People” for their next 45, released in June of ’66. The group runs the lyrics over an adaption of the Byrds “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better”. There’s more action on the other side, a good cover of “Bo Diddley”.
Like the Forvus single and the Outsiders 45s on Knight, this was recorded at H&H Productions in Tampa. The producer for this one is Phil Kempin, the only record they cut not produced by John Brumage.
Rovin’ Flames at Curtis Hixon with the Tropics and the Dave Clark Five
Third lineup with Jim Davis, John Rogers and Dave Tabak joining.
September, 1966:
*Jim Davis – lead vocals Jimmy Morris – lead guitar *John Rogers – organ J. R. Maietta – bass *Dave Tabak – drums
Paul Battle and Jerry Goff left the band for another project and about this time Hardy Dial left the group as well. By September of ’66 the band had added Jim Davis on lead vocals, Davy Tabak on drums, and for the first time they had an organ player, John Rogers, who came from Mississippi. This group would stay together for a few months but not record.
December, 1966:
*Paul Battle – lead vocals Jimmy Morris – lead guitar John Rogers – organ J. R. Maietta – bass Dave Tabak – drums
Jim Davis left the group in December of ’66 and Paul Battle returned for a very short time as lead vocalist. This lineup also would not record.
Article with the Changin’ TymesThe Rovin’ Flames, late 1966November ’66 – March ’67 photosSacred Heart Academy, February 25, 1967Summer of ’67, with John Delise and new drummer Eddie TaylorWALT beach party, June 24, 1967
February, 1967:
*John Delise – lead vocals Jimmy Morris – lead guitar John Rogers – organ J. R. Maietta – bass Dave Tabak – drums
Rovin’ Flames July 1967 photos
July 1967:
John Delise – lead vocals Jim Morris – lead guitar John Rogers – organ J. R. Maietta – bass *Eddie Taylor – drums
The next big change for the group was adding John Delise on lead vocals, the same singer who previously had replaced Hardy Dial in the Outsiders. Delise had a good run with the Outsiders. With their name changed to the Soul Trippers, a 45 of “I’m a King Bee” on the Laurie subsidiary label Providence was a minor sensation in the summer of ’66.
In fact, the Outsiders/Soul Trippers and Rovin’ Flames stories seem intertwined in ways that aren’t fully clear to me yet. With Delise moving on to the Rovin’ Flames, The Soul Trippers became Noah’s Ark, cutting two 45s for Decca, including a cleaned-up version of the Fugs “Group Grope” retitled “Love In” that the band credited to themselves. Ed Sanders could have sued over that one! One of the writers credited on “Love In” is Helen Uncapher who would co-wrote both sides of the Rovin’ Flames next release, “How Many Times” / “Love Song #6” with John Delise. As producer of these discs, John Brumage at H&H seems to have been responsible for placing both Noah’s Ark and the Rovin Flames with Decca in 1967.
“How Many Times” is one of the most memorable of all 60’s band 45s, with a swinging organ sound and Delise delivering the wild opening lyrics:
How many times can you put a gun up to your head, thinking about the pleasures of being dead
along with a lighter verse:
How many times have you pulled into a hamburger stand, waving your money in your hand, yelling and screaming like a hungry man, but the lazy waitress takes all of the day, but you don’t care she’s ugly anyway!
It was released a little late for its style, in September of 1967. The freewheeling flipside “Love Song #6” was also included on the 1968 Tener various-artists LP release Bee Jay Video Soundtrack.
John Delise went on to join Those Five, probably after their cool 45 “Sidewalks” was released on Paris Tower.
In July of ’67, Eddie Taylor replaced Dave Tabak on drums, though I believe Dave is playing on the Decca 45.
Autumn 1967, from left: John DeLise, Johnny Rogers, Jimmy Morris, Eddie Taylor and J.R. MaiettaThe Rovin’ Flames with new lead singer Bob Thompson, November 1967
November 1967:
*Bob Thompson – lead vocals Jim Morris – lead guitar John Rogers – organ J. R. Maietta – bass Eddie Taylor – drums
July 1968:
*Ronnie Goedert – lead vocals Jim Morris – lead guitar *Jay Colding – organ J. R. Maietta – bass *Jerry Nickerson – drums
Autumn 1968:
*Hobie O’Brien – lead vocals Jimmy Morris – lead guitar Jay Colding – organ J. R. Maietta – bass Jerry Nickerson – drums
John Delise lasted longer than most of the Rovin’ Flames lead singers, but still was with the group less than a year. Bob Thompson took over in November of ’67. Around this time the Flames started appearing with ‘Rovin’ Things’ emblazoned on Eddie Taylor’s drumhead, though I’m not sure if they really changed their name in their bookings.
Johnny Rogers died in March 1968 and Bob Thompson and Eddie Taylor left the band. Jim Morris and J.R. Maietta must have barely been able to hold the group together, but by July they had recruited three replacement musicians – Jay Colding on organ and Jerry Nickerson on drums, plus Ronnie Goedert on lead vocals. Ronnie didn’t stay long and was replaced by Hobie O’Brien in the fall of ’68. The band broke up for good in early 1969.
J.R. Maietta stopped performing and owned a record store for some years. He passed away in 1996. John Delise died on October 3, 2004, and the band’s last keyboard player Jay Colding passed away just this November 26, 2009. Ronnie Goedert later joined White Witch, and passed away in 2000.
Last known photo of the Rovin’ Flames, Soap Box Derby Parade, July 13, 1968
Much helpful information in writing this piece was found at The Limestone Lounge. Special thanks to Jeff Lemlich for providing additional info as well as scans of the Fuller, Boss and Forvus 45s, and transfers of “Gloria”, “J.J.J.P”. “Now That Summer’s Here” and “It’s Nothing New”.More information on John Delise is on the Tampa Bay Garage Bands site, where I also found the photo of the band from the autumn of ’67.
Very special thanks must go to Dorothy Chapman. Her scrapbook of photos and fan club letters provides the timeline and documentation for this article. Without her help I could not have given an accurate account of the band’s history.
Here are Dorothy’s comments on the Rovin’ Flames:
My sister and I met the Rovin’ Flames during the summer of 1966, just before I started 10th grade at Chamberlain High School, through friends who were next-door neighbors to Hardy Dial’s family in our subdivision – he had just joined the band. J.R. Maietta lived with his parents, also in our subdivision, and they practiced there in the screened porch. Shortly thereafter Paul and Jerry left the band, taking the current “official Fan Club officers” with them, and my sister and I took over as “President” and “Secretary” respectively from about August 1966 until the band broke up in early 1969.
The Rovin’ Flames van with Fan Club officers, August, 1966
Every day after school we would either walk or ride our horses to J.R.’s parents’ house to listen to the band practice. While our school friends were going to football and basketball games, we spent our Friday and Saturday nights (and weeknights in the summers) traveling with J.R.’s parents (who were their managers) to their “gigs” all over Tampa, Clearwater and Sarasota. We even got to go to the Tiger’s Den in Cocoa Beach a couple times to cheer the band on and dance the night away! I kept a scrapbook containing photos, mementos, and some of the monthly newsletters that I laboriously typed on an old manual Underwood typewriter and mailed to our loyal Fan Club members, keeping them up-do-date on the band’s comings and goings. In addition to the newsletters, the members received a membership card and a copy of their latest record, all for $1.00 a year. We even had t-shirts with “Happiness is the Rovin’ Flames” printed on them.They performed some of their recorded songs live – Gloria and Bo Diddley were always favorites. They did play How Many Times regularly, but if I recall correctly they all hated Love Song #6 (which they called Love Song #69). It wasn’t theirs, but I remember that Mustang Sally was always the “dance contest” song. Among others, they performed with the Dave Clark 5, the Grass Roots, the Robbs and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels here in Tampa, and with ? and the Mysterians in Gainesville.
It’s hard to explain to people what it was like to run around with a local rock band in the late 60’s – they were truly local celebrities. There were so many places for kids to go for dancing, where they just sold cokes and pretzels and it was such fun to be a part of the scene! In the Tampa area we regularly went to the FCA Hall, Temple Terrace Rec Center, Sacred Heart Academy Auditorium, The Inn Crowd, Gandy Ballroom, Strawberry Patch, and the Hullabaloo Clubs in Clearwater and Sarasota, to name a few. The memories make me smile (well, most of them anyway).
When Johnny Rogers died it was a real shock – he was such a sweet guy, but obviously had problems we didn’t know about. Things were never quite the same after Johnny died although the band stayed together for about a year. They finally phased out in January or February 1969. Sadly, I’ve heard that a number of the guys have passed away.
Documented gigs and timeline:
August 1965 – first 45 “Gloria” / “J.J.J.P.” released (Fuller CFP2627).
1966:
Feb. or March – second 45 “I Can’t” / “I’m Afraid to Go Home” released (Boss BOS-002) ? – Rovin Flames back the Forvus featuring Brooke Chamberlain on “Now That Summer Is Here” / “It’s Nothing New” (Tampa Bay BC-1110) June – third 45 “Seven Million People” / “Bo Diddley” released (Tampa Bay BC-1111). July – Hardy Dial joins on vocals July 10 – Curtis Hixon Hall, Tampa, with the Dave Clark Five and the Tropics, set list: “It’s All Right”, “Hey Little Girl”, “Younger Girl”, “Wild Thing”. July ? – Lakeland Shower of Stars July ? – Tiger Den, Cocoa, FL August 13 – Billboard predicts “Bo Diddley” likely to crack top 100 (it didn’t) Aug. 24 – Sacred Heart Academy September – Dave Tabak joins on drums, Jim Davis on vocals, followed shortly by John Rogers on keyboards Sept. 10 – Delta Sigma Phi, Gainsville, FL Sept. 17 – Tiger’s Den, Cocoa, FL – first show with lead singer Jim Davis Sept. 24 – Patricks Air Force Base Oct. 1 – Sacred Heart Academy Oct. 15 – Sacred Heart Academy/ “FCA” Oct. 29 – Sacred Heart Academy Oct. 31 – Lakeland Nov. 1, 2, 3 – Lakeland Nov. 4 – Umitilla Nov. 5 – Fla. Pres. College, St. Petersburg Nov. 11 – Daytona Beach Nov. 12 – Cocoa, FL Nov. 17 – Lakeland Nov. 18 – Fla. Pres. College, St. Petersburg Nov. 19 – Sacred Heart Academy Nov. 25 – Carrollwood Country Club Nov. 26 – Trowel Building, Tampa / Benefit for Robert McCord Oral School – with the Surfsiders December 1966 – Paul Battle rejoins as lead vocalist Dec. 25 – Sacred Heart Academy Dec. 31 – King Solomon’s Mine
1967:
Jan. 16-22 and late January – Beachcomber Club, Jacksonville Jan. 20 – Sacred Heart Academy Jan. 21 – band starts using new Vox equipment Jan. 31 – Feb. 6 – Lakeland February – John Delise joins on lead vocals Feb. 17 – Temple Terrace Feb. 18 – Punta Gorda Feb. 25 – Sacred Heart Academy Late Feb. – early March – Lakeland March 7 – Largo Fair March 11 – Tiger’s Den, Cocoa, FL with the McCoys March 17 – Big Moose Showcase March 18 – Apopka Youth Center March 20 – April 3 – Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami April 7 – Big Moose’s Showcase, St. Petersburg Apr. 8 – Sarasota Armory Apr. 9 – Benefit in memory of Charlie Beecham of the Emotions Apr. 21 – Big Moose’s Showcase, St. Petersburg Apr. 28 – Tiger’s Den, Cocoa, FL / benefit for Crippled Children’s Home Apr. 29 – Sacred Heart Academy, Tampa May 6 – Lake City May 12 – Sebring May 13 – Umatilla May 19 – F.C.A. May 20 – Tiger’s Den, Cocoa, FL June 2 – Inn Crowd, with the Robbs and the Gents (“15-minute psychedelic version of ‘Summertime Blues'”) June 3 – Sacred Heart Academy June 7 – Melborne Civic Center June 9 – Aloha June 16 – Temple Terrace June 17 – Inn Crowd June 23 – Tiger’s Den, Cocoa, FL June 24 – Aloha / WALT Beach Party June 28 – Sacred Heart Academy June 30 – Sacred Heart Academy Luau (private) July – Eddie Taylor replaces Dave Tabak on drums July 1 – Sacred Heart Academy Semi-formal (private) July 10 – Tiger’s Den, Cocoa, FL July 14 – J.C. Club July 17 – Temple Terrace July 19 – Sacred Heart Academy September – fourth and last 45 “How Many Times” released (Decca 32191) November – Bob Thompson joins on lead vocals Nov. 25 – Clearwater Hullabaloo late Nov. – Curtis Hixon Hall, Tampa, with Noah’s Ark, the 13th Hour and the Puddin’ Basin Group
1968:
March – Johnny Rogers dies March 9 – Tiger’s Den, Cocoa July – Ronnie Goedert joins on lead vocals, Jay Colding on organ and Jerry Nickerson on drums July 13 – Soap Box Derby Parade Autumn – Hobie O’Brien joins on lead vocals
1969: Band breaks up in January or February
At the Tigers Den in Cocoa, March 9, 1968At the Tiger’s Den, Cocoa, November 1966At the Inn Crowd with the Robbs, June 2, 1967J.C. Club, Clearwater, July 14, 1967Clearwater Hullabaloo, November 25, 1967
The first Mor-Loks at the Yankee Clipper Hotel, from left: Mike Wall, Johnny Hartigan, Don Henry, Sammy Hall and Ron Armstrong
Ft. Lauderdale’s Mor-Loks had two distinct lineups, each of which recorded a 45.
The original group changed their name from the Impressions V to the Mor-Loks, and consisted of Sammy Hall vocals, Johnny Hartigan lead guitar, Don Henry rhythm guitar, Ron Armstrong bass and Mike Wall on drums.
Their 1965 release combines one delicate song, “There Goes Life”, with the upbeat “Elaine”. This was originally released on the Loks label. When Gary Stites became the band’s manager, he re-released the record on his own Living Legend label (not to be confused with the Living Legend run by Kim Fowley).
Sammy Hall left to join the Birdwatchers, and the rhythm section of Armstrong and Wall reformed the band with Bill “Nappy” Lynn on lead vocals, Billy Burke keyboards, and Craig Held on lead guitar. This lineup landed a contract with Decca in February 1966, only to have the draft break them up in September. Their only record is the raver “What My Baby Wants” (written by Bill Lynn and Craig Held) and the equally fine “Lookin’ For a New Day” (by Armstrong and Held), released in April of ’66.
The second version of the Mor-Loks, outside the MCA building in New York, 1966.
I recently asked bass player Ron Armstrong about the band and he sent me two photos:
The first one is of the original line up that included Mike Wall drums, Sammy Hall vocals, Johnny Hartigan lead guitar, Don Henry rhythm guitar and myself on bass. The picture was taken at the Yankee Clipper Hotel on Ft. Lauderdale Beach where we performed for a New York Yankees family function. Ft. Lauderdale was the spring training grounds for the Yankees and the Yankee Clipper was always their host hotel.
With regards to the breakup of the original group, it was a combo of things. One, I was facing extreme pressure from the draft board and 2, the Birdwatchers, Gary Stites and WQAM were actively courting Sammy.
As it turned out, I was granted a temporary deferral from the draft but only learned of it after I had informed the Mor-Loks that I would be leaving the group. With plenty of bookings to play and a good following of fans and an extension of time I sought to put together another group quickly. I added Craig Held on guitar first, followed by Bill Lynn and learned of Billy Burke through my dad who worked with Billy’s dad.
The second pic is of the revised line up of Mor-Loks with new additions Bill Lynn vocals, Craig Held lead guitar and Billy Burke keyboards. Mike and I were the only holdovers from the original group. The picture was taken right before we entered the MCA building in New York to sign our contact with Decca Records.
I am happy to report that I have located all living members of the Mor-Loks, both the original members and the revised line up. Billy Burke and Johnny Hartigan as you already know are deceased. After years of off and on searching this week I located vocalist Bill “Nappy” Lynn, in Georgia, Craig Held lead guitar in Florida, and the drummer from both lineups of Mor-Loks, Mike Wall, also in Florida.
Sources: Jeff Lemlich’s history of Florida bands Savage Lost, and my interview with Ron Armstrong.
The Rites, l-r: Pete Kerezman, Tom Fitzpatrick, Pete Feller, Bob Azzarello and Jimmy Cahn
The Rites actually called themselves the Last Rites, and they made this one great double-sided 45 on Decca before changing their name and lineup. There’s more than a touch of psychedelia to both “Hour Girl” and “Things.” Peter Kerezman wrote both songs, and the 45 was produced by Stephen Hammer.Band members at the time of recording were Jimmy Cahn, organ, vocals; Bob Azzarello, drums; Tom Fitzpatrick, bass; Peter Feller, lead guitar, vocals; and Pete Kerezman, vocals, rhythm guitar.
A former band member I heard from writes: “I believe [the Rites] got the record deal as a result of a contest that included playing around the city with some sort of a thing sponsored by some cosmetics company [Clairol]. They were given a ton of Ampeg gear as well and met a ton of models, who used to hang with us.
“The band was re-named Thin Ice and we continued to play Things and The Hour Girl along with several other originals by Pete & Jimmy. Unfortunately the band only lasted about a year and we never quite got off the ground.
“Thin Ice did some demos (I think they’re lost now). We played a big club in Phillie, a bunch of resorts in Stowe VT, Yale, a street festival in Phillie, some other gigs around the city. Used to rehearse in a basement studio owned by the manager of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. The guy wanted to sign us. I think the last gig we ever did was a Hell’s Angel’s benefit at the Electric Circus in NYC. Yet another manager hooked it up for us, but we were just too drugged out to deal.”
A sad ending to the band but it doesn’t diminish the beauty of this music.
“Time magazine, June 30, 1967, taken during a dress rehearsal in Central Park. You can barely see me, all the way on the left there, and up front is Jimmy dancing with model Patsy Sabline.” – Pete
I was a coffeehouse folk musician prior to doing the group thang. I guess my first “band” was with Rites guitarist Pete Feller in a folk duo, “The Candymen,” two guitars and vocals. We had been having a friendly competition in Rockland County coffeehouses and decided to join forces. I insisted that we wear striped shirts, like the Kingston Trio. We played the coffeehouses, and had a regular gig at the Fort Hamilton army base enlisted club. Then Pete went off to Oberlin College in Ohio.
Later that year (Or was it the following year? The memory’s dim), Pete’s younger brother, Phil, who was attending Columbia University, called me and said he was putting a band together, asked me if I wanted to play bass, which came as quite a shock because I’d never played a bass, except for washtub in a bluegrass wannabe outfit, and didn’t even own one. For some odd reason I agreed. That group was a quartet – Phil singing, me on bass, Tommy Fitzpatrick on guitar, and a cat from Westchester name of Wally Westphal on drums. It turned out that Phil wasn’t much of a singer, so we kicked him up to “manager” and Wally enlisted Jimmy Cahn and we became The Last Rites.
We played the Columbia University frat house circuit for a while, and the band outgrew the drummer, so we replaced him with another C.U. student, Rick Davis, who was a superb jazz drummer who could handle rock with ease.
Time passed. Pete Feller quit Oberlin and moved back to the New York area to join the band. We had a fairly serious competition with another C.U. frat band, The Walkers, who had a damn good lead guitarist, Billy something. They were numero uno and we were numero dos. Couldn’t dislodge ’em.
At some point in time we played a gig where Bob Prescott, our eventual manager, was quite taken with us, but Rick’s wife got to humpin’ the whole band so we lost his services when he went off to Africa on a geological dig to try and forget his sorrows.
I honestly can’t remember who put us on to Bob Azzerello, maybe it was Prescott, but Az was up to the task and came on board. I also can’t remember when I moved back to guitar and Tommy took over the bass chores, but it happened. Next thing we knew we had to lawyer up and read and sign contracts.
We passed an audition and became members of a traveling troupe of musicians and fashion models in a show called “The Clairol Caravan.” In addition to our own stuff we backed up a singer, Lamont Washington, who later died in a horrible fire, and played schlock music so the models could strut their stuff. The caravan and the record deal were parallel events, instigated by our manager, Bob Prescott, who was a sound effects expert for ABC radio and television and a founder of Audio Fidelity records.
We played some teen clubs in the New York area, signed with Decca and got that Clairol gig, all in a relatively short space of time. We were pretty much isolated and self-contained (arrogant and conceited). A fascinating sign of the times was that Decca thought that “The Last Rites” name was too controversial, so we morphed into “The Rites.”
The Rites with Jerry Blavet, l-r: Pete Feller, Bob Azzarello, Jerry Blavet, Tom Fitzpatrick, Jimmy Cahn, Pete Kerezman
We went into Decca’s studio A on 57th street. Recording legend Milt Gabler manned the board, with Steve Hammer hovering around being mostly useless. We were thrilled just to have a record out and we thought it turned out pretty good. Unfortunately the label didn’t do much for us in terms of promotion and the record went nowhere.
I think the one royalty check I saw was for about twelve bucks, and I had written both sides! Prescott did manage to get us on a Philly TV clone of American Bandstand, the Jerry Blavet show, where we lip-synched “Hour Girl,” but it didn’t help any. I’ve got a shot of Jerry and us standing outside our van in the snow.
After some time spent occasionally gigging, drugging and generally just spinning our wheels, Pete Feller and Tom Fitzpatrick realized what was happening, had the good sense to move on, and that was the end of The Rites.
Thin Ice, l-r: Bernard Grobman, Jimmy Cahn and Pete Kerezman
Thin Ice
Jimmy, Bob and I held auditions, and even though Bernard was quite a bit younger than us at the time he was already a monster guitar player and was obviously up to the gig. I don’t remember what name we performed under, maybe The Rites, maybe not, just don’t remember. When Bob had enough (we were a pretty rowdy bunch) we continued on as Thin Ice with a couple of other drummers passing through at various times.
Jimmy and Bob were still jamming, but I wasn’t really in their plans until I sat in with ’em one time, opened their ears, and we became “Feel.” We hooked up with a bottom-feeder agent and got a few gigs but eventually realized that Jimmy, who had switched from Farfisa to guitar, needed some help. That’s when we held guitarist auditions and hooked up with Bernard Grobman, eventually becoming “Thin Ice,” playing ski resorts in Vermont, and a few Westchester clubs.
We lost Bob’s services when he returned to college, and took up with another drummer, Andy Stone. That’s when we made the Philadelphia scene, playing The Second Fret and some street concerts. We then lost Andy and hooked up with yet another drummer, Gaspar Mirabele.
At that point Jimmy moved to Sausalito and Bernard and I formed up with a couple of crazy go-go dancers/vocalist wannabes in a group called “Your Mother.” Played some Westchester bars. Bob Azzerello was with us for a while but the girls didn’t care for him, fired him, and, partly because he was a friend and partly because he was a very good drummer, I quit the band.
Somehow, no recollection how, I got drafted by piano man Doug Konecky, and violinist Diana Halprin, who played for the American Philharmonic under Leopold Stokowski and the Metropolitan opera. Those two were monster musicians and very serious, so that’s when I *really* learned to play the bass. We were called J.S. Blue, played wine and cheese joints in Greenwich Village, and made some demos with a guy name of Jimmy Ienner, who handled Eric Carmen and Rasberries. When Doug and Diana realized just how obnoxious I really was they showed me the door.
That’s when I hooked up with piano man Jim Carling, who later did some time with Chubby Checker’s band, drummer Chris Jackson and guitarist Donny Siegel in a band called “Visions.” We were good, cut some demos at a twelve-track studio somewhere downtown but alas, nothing came of it. Jimmy and Chris moved to Newark, Delaware, Donny went back to college, and in 1976 I moved to Texas, where I gave up “the dream.” Came to visit, never left, which apparently makes me a “damn yankee,” (because I stayed).
I have reel-to-reel copies of the “J.S. Blue” and “Visions” demos, but no way of transferring them to more modern media. Sorry I don’t have the Feel demo which we made up in Decca Studio A again, and Thin Ice never did any recording. Decca 32218 was the only record The Rites ever made. I have no copy of the record so it’s a real treat to hear it again after all these years.
I must say, I’ve had more fun playing country music down here than I ever did pounding my head against the show-biz wall in The Apple. Had about a fifteen year run in outfits such as “Low Country,” “The Stardust Cowboys,” “Rough Cut,” and variety band “Flash Flood.” No pressure, just good music and mostly good times. Had guns pulled on me a couple or three times, almost got stabbed by a meth-crazed tattoo artist, but man, I *love* the honky tonks. You can have your country clubs, I’ll take the joints where the hoi polloi go to drink.
A fine psych 45 with early touches of prog. I wondered if more of their work is hidden away on tape somewhere as they were obviously a talented band.
I knew almost nothing about Groundspeed until hearing from organ player and songwriter Bob Telson recently. I’ll let him tell their story in his own words:
I grew up in Brooklyn (born 1949) and had my 1st band, The Bristols, in ’65-6. We played about 6 gigs a month, school, church, temple dances, etc. (that being long before DJs), playing lots of Beatles, Stones, etc., and some of my tunes too. Our drummer, Mike Jacobs, was already playing sessions at 14- his father, Dick Jacobs, produced Jackie Wilson, Buddy Holly and many others. He got the Bristols in the Decca studios a few times, but wasn’t able to get us a contract.
I went away to Harvard, and put a band together at the end of freshman year, and Mike (who was still in high school in Brooklyn) and his dad arranged for us to cut a demo of 2 new tunes of mine, which with their psychedelic/Jefferson Airplane influence, were a far cry from the tuneful Beatles/Stones kinda tunes I wrote for the Bristols.
Mike played drums, Jesse Miller, who had the longest hair at Harvard, played guitar, Rick Scheuer, bass, and Ken Kyle sang. I played organ. We cut the sides the summer of ’67, got the record deal to record a 45 of those tunes, but never got it better than the original demos we had done, so that’s what they released. Unfortunately, we never got to play live as a band, as Jesse, my best friend, left school for a year to join VISTA in Appalachia.
The record finally came out in summer ’68, got some nice airplay locally, and that was the end of that. They edited out some more weird spacy sections for the record (I guess that was before Light My Fire made longer singles feasible). My next band at Harvard was the Revolutionary Music Collective, in which my sometimes Cliffie girlfriend Bonnie Raitt sang lead vocals. We played SDS parties, and did guerilla rave-ups.
Anyway, in brief, I moved to Manhattan, played with Phillip Glass from ’72-4, then played and wrote salsa (Tito Puente, Machito), gospel (5 Blind Boys), and R&B until I began working with theater director Lee Breuer, with whom I wrote The Gospel at Colonus for BAM in 1983, my 1st opportunity to get my music out into the world. Which led to other possibilities in theater and film (Bagdad Cafe being the most known). I’ve been living in Buenos Aires with my Argentine wife the last 4 years, and we just finished our 1st CD together (Isabel de Sebastian & Bob Telson; “TRIP”).
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
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.
The Rites actually called themselves the Last Rites, and they made this one great double-sided 45 on Decca before changing their name and lineup. There’s more than a touch of psychedelia to both “Hour Girl” and “Things.” Peter Kerezman wrote both songs, and the 45 was produced by Stephen Hammer.Band members at the time of recording were Jimmy Cahn, organ, vocals; Bob Azzarello, drums; Tom Fitzpatrick, bass; Peter Feller, lead guitar, vocals; and Pete Kerezman, vocals, rhythm guitar.
